conyema12:
I think we are the architect of our own misfortune.
A classical example is how a professor of Abstract Algebra mathematics in UNN will end his career without producing a PhD student to pick after him knowing that he is only one with that knowledge.

Most of our professors that are trained abroad often find it difficult to impact the knowledge. Only because they want to be worshiped like demi gods...
To hell with them

If Africa wants to develop, it has to start from the classrooms to universities to research centres. ..

tru that.....indeed you are not far from the truth man. they tend to forget "the farther the knowledge is spread, the better for everyone" Google is a prime example

milychocs:




SMH
I see you, and many others have bought into the idea that we should be ashamed of ourselves and our Africa
Sad

Well, I cannot even begin to explain this to you
but I suggest you Google eco-social model, pathways of social determinants ...it may aid your understanding, and maybe you can stop blaming and or hating yourself, and Africa

Guys...the self hate, inability to "stand up" and do meaningful things, are all carry overs from past generations, and this is a continous trend

The really tragic thing is that slavery esp of Subsaharan Africa is still very much alive
on a corporate, capitalistic level....at the global level where the World Bank, IMF and the big countries rule
The chain is tight, only that the shackled believe they are freer and enlightened....more willing slaves if you like

Even the guilt of raping Africa will never be enough to push these powers to develop Africa, hence the loans and conditionalities attached to them
You see, they need the professional courses graduates......cheap labour if you like
Brain drain for Africa
Policy, SAPs, policy and yeye policy after another making us think we only have to step up, and be liberated (leaving us feeling we are bad, and the problem is us)
All lies

If you knew how hard they make it for Africa to be getting drugs for HIV/AIDS...you would see the level of enslavement we are in
The RAPE of Africa is entrenched into the pulse of the continent

You see corruption, poor infrastructure, diseases, low life expectancy, etc in Africa
If you knew the true picture...you would hug and love your neighbour...maybe love can save us, cos the world cannot...and we are too beaten and damaged to do much

All evidence based...the above
Not a rant by an angry black female
Even though I know I may be incoherent....but then....
Yeah

are by way a member of a royal family, or ruling class or a royal queen your knowledge and grasp of international/political/historical matters is impecabble and superb

FxDuke:
are [url][/url]by way a member of a royal family, or ruling class or a royal queen your knowledge and grasp of international/political/historical matters is impecabble and superb

Building the pyramids is one of the worlds greatest accomplishments and they were built by Africans, so poster, this question of your is appalling.

bezimo:
I asked this same question to a friend when I was in Nantes, France and he replied Africa was fighting with bow and arrow while Europe and the rest of the world were building underground tunnels, metros, developing infrastructure and robust institutions.Now the gap is more than 7 ups.Our past leaders were responsible having failed to do the needful.Till Jesus comes and rapture the church can Africa be like Europe? I am not sure.

Didn't know it was possible for someone to be so disconnected from history. You should open a text book sometime.

wildikeman:
The blackman can't think for themselves....when they were even in Egypt the first monument which is the sphinx or pyramids you see were built by Pheonician Decendents. And Berbers. The negrows were driven out during this time. We as Africans have to ask God what the problem is...and again our bloody culture that most Africans cling to are what's setting us back. We should do away with them and think in a most secular way.

Do away with the culture that brought us the mighty empires of Benin and Asante? Do you pride youself in perpetuating backwardness?

dallyemmy:
Just like undeveloped Haiti close to developed nations is fetish, wicked and selfish so is Africa. They are intellectually lazy, generally believe more in fables than facts. They do everything for the wrong reasons!

Spreading lies about Haiti huh? Do not speak on subjects your are woefully ignorant about.

kingston277:

Do away with the culture that brought us the mighty empires of Benin and Asante? Do you pride youself in spreading backwardness?

why talk about a culture that even the most primitive man could achieve. Blood thirsty human sacrificing Benin culture even till date. The Asante-hene culture that was even up to date. When we say civilization we speak of up to date government for the people. Not old dark bc civilization. What did those ones even invent! Sef? Tell me please.

wildikeman:
why talk about a culture that even the most primitive man could achieve. Blood thirsty human sacrificing Benin culture even till date. The Asante-hene culture that was even up to date. When we say civilization we speak of up to date government for the people. Not old dark bc civilization. What did those ones even invent! Sef? Tell me please.

Really? Primitive men have libraries, elections, advanced militaries, high production, education centres, built submarines out of canoes(Koonkoobery), diplomecy, etc?
"Bloodythirsty human sacrifice" sure is a funny way of saying capital punishment. I don't know how disposing of hardened criminals quenches some "thirst". Looks like its back to the books for you sleepy head.

totima:


Then I was wrong then. The Ethiopian monuments are just that - underwhelming.

The Roman colosseum looks very grand in comparison.

Thanks for clarifying.

Are you praising an entertainment centre where people slaughtered each other for amusment? Over more sensible Ethiopians?
Oh the African: condones babarism as long as white folks are doing it.

kingston277:

Really? Primitive men have libraries, elections, advanced militaries, high production, education centres, built submarines out of canoes, diplomecy, etc?
"Bloodythirsty human sacrifice" sure is a funny way of saying capital punishment. I don't know how disposing of hardened criminals quenches some "thirst". Looks like its back to the books for you sleepy headm

jesus! Sub-marine canoes! Libraries! Where did you get such crap lies!?? !!!!!! Your teacher head no correct o. And which Education centres oo...for farm abi? And capital punishment ke for sacrifice? Man get ur facts right. Sacrifice was done to honor the gods using the first male or virgins. The criminal although were subjected to such weren't always chosen as they were seen as outcasts and couldn't be given to the gods or were seen as unfit to serve a dead ruler so were either sent to the place of no return or sold to the arabs or whites. As for election it was limited. No again what has Africa invented?

kingston277:

Are you praising an entertainment centre where people slaughtered each other for amusment? Over more sensible Ethiopians?
Oh the African: condones babarism as long as white people are doing it.

Well we are comparing historical monuments and nothing more. Africans also tend to differentiate among cultures and pit some African cultures and achievements more superior than others.

If you agree that Ethiopian monuments are objectively grander than, say, Efik or Fang Monuments, then I can do the same by objectively comparing to those of other races.

No hard feelings.

wildikeman:
jesus! Sub-marine canoes! Libraries! Where did you get such crap lies!?? !!!!!! Your teacher head no correct o.

Wow! They really must've done you in didn't they. So much that you'd even deny official colonial admin documentation. One step to education is through books.
https://books.google.ca/books?id=XsHB69txxdEC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=sierra+leone+alligator+society+submarine&source=bl&ots=DGdNOVuFSX&sig=MstOhxiYlXfFgAds1mkC6kw7-JE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=77ASVbKGJNOcyATixYLgBw&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=sierra%20leone%20alligator%20society%20submarine&f=false

wildikeman:
And which Education centres oo...for farm abi?
The ones that were very eager to educate your lazy a.ss.

[quote author=wildikeman post=31979809]And capital punishment ke for sacrifice? Man get ur facts right. Sacrifice was done to honor the gods using the first male or virgins. The criminal although were subjected to such weren't always chosen as they were seen as outcasts and couldn't be given to the gods or were seen as unfit to serve a dead ruler so were either sent to the place of no return or sold to the arabs or whites.

Jostor link: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4390897?seq=11

Wikipedia forum: Actually "ElliotJoyce", if you had bothered to read past the first page of the jstor article you provided a link to, you would have seen that the article actually emphasizes that human sacrifice was mostly limited to criminals, was not actually of great extent, and that much of what the British had seen in 1897 had actually been misinterpreted since they assumed some things were sacrifices that weren't. Try and actually read an article past the first page before citing it in the mistaken belief that it supports your argument rather than that of your opponent. Benin did not have the luxury of plagiarizing Judaic ethics/morality like most of the European countries that adopted Christianity, but the ethics Benin did have never involved human sacrifice on any grand scale like that of the Aztecs, and there are multiple quotes from European visitors to Benin from before its conquest that state that they executed mostly criminals in sacrifices. Try and actually learn about historical places before commenting on them. Ciao.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Benin_Expedition_of_1897

wildikeman:
As for election it was limited.

http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Ashanti-Empire.pdf
It involved choice of the people who ruled them. And they had unlimited power to remove member of the government if they were dissatisfied.

wildikeman:
No again what has Africa invented?

Go back and read my previous post.

Did anyone on this thread forget about the punitive expeditions around Africa? You know, the invasions that actually caused the current backwardness by the burning of cities and exile of leaders?

tevinsolt:
the most significant civilization that sprung in Africa was Egypt, there were small civilizations in comparison that also arose later. Civilizations like the Mali, Ghana, Oyo , Great Zimbabwe and Benin and so on. none after Egypt can compare with the [Rome Empire, Ancient Greece (Athens, Sparta), the various dynasties in Asia] these civilizations are so influential structures millenniums old are still standing, when go to these sites today, all you can do is stare in awe and wonder of those who came thousands of years before us accomplished............in sub Saharan Africa there's no such thing. The so much acclaimed Benin City was destroyed by mere British troops. Napoleon attacked Egypt and some of those acient structures are still standing til today.

British troops with machine guns. And this is after years of defeat by the Bini.

Angelou:

this isn't what i was taught to believe, this is what truly happened!! with all the paraphernalia of charms that the sub saharan africa possessed, why didn't they put up adequate resistance against western explorers (such as inflicting them with a deadly pestilence)

Why are there so many dead western soldiers in Africa and why are there so many crumbling European ruins if Africans didn't put up good resistance? Why did it take them so long to take Africa?

ibrokola:
The fact was that these societies had civilizations. There was the Arabian Civilization, Egyptian Civilization, Greek Civilization, European Civilization/ Industrial Evolution. These were time when these societies prided themselves on education and made it compulsory thus broadening their horizons. Unfortunately, Africa did not have these eras and so did not develop (partly because it was too comfortable as we had all the natural resources needed for basic survival.) As with us humans, if we do not feel the need for something, we do not strive to satisfy such need!

This is confusing.

kingston277:
http://historum.com/middle-eastern-african-history/70114-african-culture-9.html
https://www.nairaland.com/1796503/traditional-african-boat-designs
http://historum.com/middle-eastern-african-history/58840-diversity-early-african-architecture-ruins-thread.html
https://www.nairaland.com/1249503/interesting-images-precolonial-early-colonial
https://www.nairaland.com/582176/benin-art-architecture/
Edo Kingdom(Nigeria)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sungbo%27s_Eredo
Asante Empire(Ghana)



Kongo
[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/VILE-180.JPG[/img]


Nsibidi(Igbo writing system)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nsibidi
More...
https://www.nairaland.com/189030/african-script
Production
http://der.org/resources/study-guides/blooms-of-banjeli-study-guide.pdf
[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/1554585_african-productivity_jpeg73ad16662aab95c5e70965fc917f4ece[/img]
Bathrooms

Science and Tech
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_science_and_technology_in_Africa
"Human sacrifice" was actually capital punishment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Benin_Expedition_of_1897
Human rights concepts
http://www.kentlaw.edu/faculty/bbrown/classes/HumanRightsSP10/CourseDocs/9BanjulCharterandtheAfricanCulturalFingerprint.pdf
http://eccentricyoruba./
http://www.postcolonialweb.org/nigeria/precolwon.html
http://www.postcolonialweb.org/nigeria/colonwom.html

I know its alot of links but its important for you to know. Plus the above is just West Africa/Central alone!

How can people living on "basic survival" built these grand civilizations?

kingston277:

Why are there so many dead western soldiers in Africa and why are there so many crumbling European ruins if Africans didn't put up good resistance? Why did it take them so long to take Africa?

the europeans were persistent in their conquest, but africans were not persistent in their resistance

totima:
A lot of the Captain "save Africa's Image" guys are swimming in irrelevances.

For all of Africa's mighty history...we came down all too quick under the will of the Europeas and remain their bootlickers till today.

If we came down quick, we would've been conquered in the 1400s not hundreds of year later. What took these Europeans so bloody long?

totima:
That the acclaimed Bini Empire fell in just 1 day under minimal British manpower (worse - I heard they used lower ranked African footsoldiers to fight) is very telling.

1 day of conquer vs. hundreds of years of kicking European's rear.

totima:
Even the so-called Zulu's are overhyped. The ratio of Zulu to British soldiers was very high and with higher casualties on the Zulu end but I guess they did well enough by African standards. Still lost woefully at the end though.

I read that this was a tatical mistake on SHaka's sons part. He was ordered to take the war to the Europeans settlements but refused.

totima:
A very weak race for all that we tout!

Only if you believe that nonsense you spout.

totima:
Our biggest saving grace in the hotter climates of Africa is Malaria and heat. Thank God for mother nature!

Thank God for African medicine which helps treat malaria. If only the Europeans had it, they could've taken Africa sooner.

Fulaman198:


he is validating the fact that the Fulanis did indeed look down on whites, but you are too ashamed to admit it because in your mind it's hard for you to fathom a black group of people not seeing themselves as inferior to whites.

The Zulu reportedly looked down on whites as well. But he won't accept it.

Angelou:
the europeans were persistent in their conquest, but africans were not persistent in their resistance

Why were they so eager to buy guns/artillery to supplement their military that they would go to such lengths as slave trading?

totima:


Well we are comparing historical monuments and nothing more. Africans also tend to differentiate among cultures and pit some African cultures and achievements more superior than others.

If you agree that Ethiopian monuments are objectively grander than, say, Efik or Fang Monuments, then I can do the same by objectively comparing to those of other races.

No hard feelings.

I don't see how the coliseum is superior, its still barbary.

totima:
Wow! I can't believe that most of my points flew just right past you.

I give up.

They're not worth his consideration. Half are made up anyway.

Blankstare:

To the op. African's were in their hut living communaly and hampered by traditional hierarchies not to enquire about what lay ahead.

Yeah. You're right.

kingston277:

Are you praising an entertainment centre where people slaughtered each other for amusment? Over more sensible Ethiopians?
Oh the African: condones babarism as long as white people are doing it.

Not all of us are foolish bro

kingston277:

This is confusing.

How can people living on "basic survival" built these grand civilizations?

good question. It's should make us read between the lines. Something went wrong in our past. But we ate not as primitive as claimed

[quote author=kingston277 post=31995814]
Wow! They really must've done you in didn't they. So much that you'd even deny official colonial admin documentation. One step to education is through books.
https://books.google.ca/books?id=XsHB69txxdEC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=sierra+leone+alligator+society+submarine&source=bl&ots=DGdNOVuFSX&sig=MstOhxiYlXfFgAds1mkC6kw7-JE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=77ASVbKGJNOcyATixYLgBw&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=sierra%20leone%20alligator%20societyhttps://books.google.ca/books? None of the link u provided has opened o. Now its impossible to use wood or canoe to convert it into a submarine. Do you know what it is? An underwater technology o. Now as for the voting thing I stand to be corrected. Yes perhaps some tribes did have election amongst its people. But the sacrifice own is so true. People were being sacrificed even up to today. Here is a link www.executedtoday.com/2011/06/28/1899-ologbosere-benin-empire/...we can't gloat over such. This are facts its even going on till today!

frankmoney:
I have always wanted to ask this question , where was Africa when Europe and the rest where developing ? how come we don't have great early inventors or physicist such as Einstein and iseac newton ?what were we doing around the early 1900's or 1800's ? contributions are needed

Further to my first response on this, read here the impact of colonialism on Africa's economic development. See http://www.africason.com/2015/03/the-impact-of-colonialism-on-african.html. Therein you'll find answer to to your question. Africa was developing fast and was as par every other continent before Europe made contact with us. The link pretty summarized it for you and anybody who cares.

GodMode:


One of the leaders once said "america will know"....

What does that statement tell you

America will know what?? Elaborate on d point ur tryin 2 make pls.

the europeans were persistent, but not through warfare rather through their snake nature ways, they came in first has friends. We were also persistent in our resistance, but We were ordered to stand down. No race could ever conquer South-saharans, they all came in through friendship.

Angelou:
the europeans were persistent in their conquest, but africans were not persistent in their resistance

gregzone:

America will know what?? Elaborate on d point ur tryin 2 make pls.

For u to ask means that you are already smart enough to know what I mean so don't bother me...