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Afrocentric colonialism: The new face of African oppression
Nkrumah argues that “her (Africa’s) earth is rich, yet the products that come from above and below her soil continue to enrich, not Africans predominantly, but groups and individuals who operate to Africa’s impoverishment”.
By Kingsley Akam
Afrocentric colonialism represents a troubling and insidious form of oppression within Africa-one that is orchestrated not by foreign powers but by African leaders themselves. Despite the continent’s struggle for independence and the subsequent narrative of neo-colonialism, the root cause of Africa’s persistent challenges lies within its own leadership.
This idea, which I have explored in both public and academic forums, calls for a reassessment of the true sources of Africa’s underdevelopment. The argument that Africa’s challenges stem from historical colonialism and neo-colonialism, as proposed by figures like Kwame Nkrumah, remains influential. Nkrumah argues that “her (Africa’s) earth is rich, yet the products that come from above and below her soil continue to enrich, not Africans predominantly, but groups and individuals who operate to Africa’s impoverishment”.
However, after decades of independence, it is clear that the primary obstacles to progress are rooted in bad governance and the exploitation of resources by African leaders themselves. These leaders, who pretend to be democrats, have created a system that perpetuates poverty and injustice, often with devastating consequences for their citizens. In my recent work, including my PhD thesis, a conference paper titled, ‘The Politics of Afrocentric Colonialism and Corruption Codification in Edosio’s The Governor (2016) and Adetiba’s King of Boys (2018),’ which I presented at the 32nd International Screen Studies Conference at the University of Glasgow, and my forthcoming paper titled, ‘Gendered Power Dynamics and Afrocentric Colonialism in Nollywood…,’ I argue that Afrocentric colonialism is a major contributor to Nigeria’s poverty, underdevelopment, and social strife.
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The ongoing protests across African nations are a direct response to this internal form of colonialism. Afrocentric colonialism is characterised by the exploitation of Africans by their leaders—individuals who, rather than serving the public good, are driven by greed and self-interest. These leaders misappropriate public funds, abuse their power, and perpetuate a system of misrule that mirrors the worst aspects of traditional colonialism. While the legacy of external colonial powers is undeniable, the current plight of Africa is more closely tied to the failures of its own rulers.
At this point, it is imperative to state that Afrocentric colonialism is closely related to patrimonialism and prebendalism, which revolve around the cartel mentality of “big men/women” in government and business, who steal and distribute public resources among themselves (see Richard A. Joseph, Democracy and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria: The Rise and Fall of the Second Republic,1987 and Paul Ugor, Nollywood: Popular Culture and Narratives of Youth Struggles in Nigeria, 2016).
Afrocentric colonialism is broader in scope, embodying all the characteristics of traditional colonialism, including exploration, exploitation, imposition, oppression, bias, injustice, and the killing of Africans by a few colonial masters during the colonial era. For instance, during the Aba Women’s Protest in 1929, colonial forces killed about 50 unarmed women, and about 20 women were killed during a similar protest in Abeokuta in 1947 (see Max Siollun, What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule, 2021). These elements of colonialism, now perpetrated by many Nigerian rulers who show no regard for human lives and dignity, are clearly visible in the current situation in Africa. African rulers, who are themselves Africans, exhibit the same traits of the colonial masters(traits of being killers, explorers, and exploiters).
In contemporary Nigerian society, there have been numerous instances of killings across the country by Nigerian security agencies and ethnic militias. Examples include the Odi Massacre on November 20, 1999; the Zaki-Biam Massacre (Operation No Living Thing) from October 20-24, 2001; and the genocide/massacre of unarmed Nigerian youths during the peaceful EndSARS protest on October 20, 2020.
It is unfortunate that Nigerian rulers and exploiters have not learned from past experiences, including the recent events in Kenya. In Kenya, citizens were beaten, injured, and killed by Afrocentric colonialists and their agents for simply demanding good governance. The same wave of protests is currently spreading across other African countries as people demand an end to Afrocentric colonialism. In Nigeria, there was #EndBadGovernance peaceful protest from August 1 to 10, 2024, in which Nigerian citizens called on the government to reverse the fuel subsidy removal, stop the floating of the Naira, cut the cost of governance, address electricity bills, implement electoral reforms, end insecurity, end hunger, curb corruption, reduce unemployment, and more.
Instead of responding as a true democracy would, the government chose to exhibit the true attributes of colonial masters by using state power to attack peaceful protesters who were exercising their constitutional rights. The protests, which called for reforms and better governance, were met with brutal force by the state, resulting in the deaths of 22 protesters, according to Amnesty International. Besides the deaths, many were injured, and properties were destroyed across the country.
This response highlights the disconnect between the government and the people, and the extent to which Afrocentric colonialism has taken root in African politics. This internal misgovernance is evident in the actions of leaders who, rather than investing in their nations’ development, engage in corrupt practices, exploitation, and victimisation that undermine their countries’ potential. It is pertinent to show further how Afrocentric colonialism, as a system in which African leaders emulate the exploitative practices of former colonial powers, continues to oppress their own people, with Nigeria as a focal point and some specific examples:
Corruption(Embezzlement), and Resource Mismanagement: Many Nigerian leaders have been implicated in large-scale corruption and embezzlement of public funds. For instance, former military ruler Sani Abacha was reported to have looted billions of dollars from the Nigerian treasury. The same corruption is ongoing during the democratic era, and corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of the Nigerian state. Corruption in Nigeria comes in different forms, such as budget padding and mismanagement of foreign loans and aid, which have trapped the country in a cycle of perpetual underdevelopment.
The International Monetary Fund, IMF, projected that “the Nigerian government may spend nearly 100 percent of its revenue on debt servicing by 2026”; the World Bank warned that the country’s debt, while seemingly sustainable, is “vulnerable and costly”; and government officials have borrowed and spent to satisfy their needs without any positive impact on the citizens, as the level of poverty and hardship keeps rising. Regarding budget padding, a serving Senator, Abdul Ningi, said over N53 billion worth of projects in the 2024 Appropriations Act are without specific locations.