Source: https://aganbigare.com
*Seventy-five percent of the world’s poorest countries are located in Africa.

*According to Gallup World, in 2013, the 10 countries with the highest proportion of residents living in extreme poverty were all in sub-Saharan Africa. Extreme poverty is defined as living on $1.25 or less a day. In 2010, 414 million people were living in extreme poverty across sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Bank, those living on $1.25-a-day accounted for 48.5 percent of the population in that region in 2010.

*Approximately one in three people living in sub-Saharan Africa are undernourished. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimated that 239 million people (around 30 percent of the population) in sub-Saharan Africa were hungry in 2010. This is the highest percentage of any region in the world. In addition, the U.N. Millennium Project reported that over 40 percent of all Africans are unable to regularly obtain sufficient food.

For a continent blessed with abundance of natural resources, arguably the most blessed continent in the world, the above data is shocking.
For years, I have wondered why Africa is so far behind other continents in terms of development and technological know how. I have wondered why we have terrible leaders and irresponsible citizens. So often, as much as I hate to admit it, I am ashamed of being African.
If I was white, I would probably have been very racist. I would never have understood how a certain group of people just find it impossible to think and create a civilized society. The west has donated hundreds of billions of dollars in aid to Africa, most of which as been misappropriated by corrupt officials and leaders. This is the African story.

Big global organizations have made tonnes of cash, exploiting this black continent. From oil companies like shell to mining companies to leather and coffee companies. They get raw materials from Africa at outrageously cheap prices, with little care about the impact of their processes on our environment; then export them to more developed countries outside Africa where they are processed and exported back to Africa for the few very rich people to purchase and flaunt with.

Wicked multinationals! They do not care about us. But on a second thought, why should they? It is not their responsibility to care for us. We are supposed to care for ourselves, we are supposed to set standards and regulate their operations and processes. We are supposed to innovate, manufacture and refine our products here in Africa. But we do not. We do not care about what happens to the rest of the continent as long as we are getting some bribe money. No amount is enough, so we will steal until we run out of room to keep the stolen money. This is the African story.
Nigeria is a typical example of the African irony. A country termed the giant of Africa. Blessed with fossil fuels, solid minerals and diverse agricultural products; one would expect Nigeria to be a global power expecially considering the large work force the country posseses.
However, for over fifty five years of independence, the country has shuffled one bad leader to the next. Corruption is the national theme, every sector of Government is saddled with corruption. Billions of dollars get missing like car keys. Progress has been slow, laudable milestones are few and far between. This is the African story.

Why is this? Are we incapable of thinking? Are we incapable of leading? What happened to our conscience? Has the hot sun damaged some brain cells? Did Christianity come too late to Africa? Or maybe it’s the mosquitoes, they probably affected us some how.
I write with a deep sense of grieve. Grieve which has turned into anger. Anger which turned to hope. Hope that a new breed of leaders will arise in Africa. Leaders that are brave and selfless. Hope that Africans will love and care for Africa. Hope that my generation will rewrite the African story.

https://aganbigare.com