Africa, our beloved mother, a land of vast potential and untapped wealth, continues to spiral in a cycle of self-inflicted wounds. As the world races ahead with innovation, invention, and transformative development, Africa seems stuck in reverse — consumed by conflicts, crippled by corruption, and now intoxicated by a rising tide of drug abuse. Where others set targets for progress, we set traps for each other. Where others dream of space exploration, we wage wars over land, tribe, chieftaincy, and religion.
We have become experts in distraction — drawn endlessly into tribal feuds and political wrangling that yield no fruit. Our priorities are misplaced. We chase shadows, not substance. In a century where the conversation globally is about Artificial Intelligence, climate action, space technology, and green energy, Africa is still struggling to decide whether to educate her children or arm them for war.
The hope of a liberated, thriving Africa rose from the ashes of colonialism. But what did we do with that freedom? Instead of unity, we inherited divisions. Instead of building nations, we built fiefdoms. Instead of investing in knowledge and innovation, we erected statues of warlords and threw money at political campaigns that divide rather than develop.
Our politics has become a blood sport. Our leadership a game of greed. Our youth, once the pride and promise of a brighter future, are now slipping into the dark grip of drugs. From codeine to tramadol, from marijuana to crystal meth, substance abuse has become an epidemic, a silent war stealing the minds and dreams of our next generation. Drug dens have replaced libraries, and online fraud has become more attractive than education or honest work.
Meanwhile, our resources are plundered — not just by foreign powers, but by our own hands—leaders who should be custodians of progress turn into predators of prosperity. Public service has become a private enterprise. Chieftaincy rows flare up with deadly consequences, and land conflicts rage from the Sahel to the Savannah.
How then can we compete in the global space? How do we demand a seat at the table of global discourse when our houses are on fire and we are the arsonists?
Africa’s failure is not just historical — it is tragically consistent. We failed in the past, we are failing now, and we seem determined to fail in the future. The world will not wait for us. It is not our skin that holds us back — it is our mindset. Until we stop glorifying warlords and start celebrating thinkers, inventors, and doers, we will remain a continent of potential that never delivers.
But it does not have to be this way.
Africa can rise — but only if we change our priorities. If we begin to value education over division, unity over ego, and development over destruction. If we can channel the energy we use in fighting one another into building our economies, educating our children, researching our diseases, and creating our own solutions.
Africa, our Mother, deserves better. Her children must rise from the ashes of indifference and apathy and reclaim her dignity. We must fight a new war — a war against ignorance, against self-hate, against poverty of thought. That is the only war worth winning.
Until then, we remain a giant, not just asleep, but stumbling, shouting, and bleeding in the dark. And the world watches.
Source: Ibrahim Angaangmeni Alhassan/zaaghana.com
The author of this article appears to be genuine by intention, innocent on some of issues root cause, ignorant of the collective power of Africans when the come together yet brainwashed about western education, innovation or artificial intelligence without knowing that there is little about the glory of the Europe, China, North America or Asia without the contribution of Africa and Africans. The question is not that Africans have not education, the question is not that Africa has no resources but the truth is that Africa or Africans have been conditioned not to believe in our own selves as the owners thus even our knowledge, Africa turns to believe that it came from some people but instead of a gift to us in Africa by Allah. So the bottom line is that the unity of Africa means that the slow development of Europe, the slow development of China or Asia, the slow development of America or the slow development of Israel. These countries feed on African human resources, they feed on African natural resources, they fuel the disunity in Africa to feed on the a divide to conquer strategy. Africa is the innovation of the world but Africa has no idea that Africa is the innovation of the world. Artificial intelligence is about an exchange reciprocity of the intelligence of the Jinn, the animals and the angels with the knowledge of the human beings. Africans and African Americans are the majority demographic of the human beings who are being used by the so called Western innovators without their consent or without their knowledge. So we have moved from territory colonization of Africa to the era of slavery and thus from slavery to the artificial intelligence electronic colonization of Africa. Everything policy they had against the African Americans then while Nkrumah, Azikwe, Kawunda, Kenyatta, Nyarere, Ofebuhene, Salasie etc were busy gaining independence for black Africa the western countries have now brought to the land of Africa: which is what explains the drugs influx to Africa, the internal conflicts in Africa thus the case of Sudan or the case of Congo or the case of Libya. And what is common knowledge about those countries, it is oil and other natural or mineral resources: so much is stolen from Africa in those conflicts which are the primary reason to start those conflicts anyway yet Africans will not come together to help one country after another when rebels are sponsored by the Western countries to destabilize a particular region in an African country where there are natural resources in order to steal it from Africa. Africa needs to be a permanent member of the UN security council with at least 3 votes thus West Africa, East Africa and South Africa. The AU needs a common currency, a common military for security otherwise each region of Africa must work to have a common currency: West Africa; East Africa; South Africa. This is the time for Africa not to be afraid but to own it because Allah gifted it to us in Africa and to us as Africans.