Oshiomhole Inumah
27/3/2025
Most of Africans should by now understand that before colonization, before Christianity and Islam, before the invasion by the foreign powers, Africa was already a land of innovation, science, structured governance, and spiritual knowledge. The false narrative that Africa was a land of “nothingness” – dark continent until the arrival of Europeans with “democracy”, “education”, “civilization” , and “salvation” is a deceit.
Long before the introduction of Western governance structure, engineering, and medical knowledge, Africa had had them practiced and deployed for the benefits of Africans, for centuries. History can attest to this.
Technology And
Engineering
The Pyramids of Egypt and Sudan (Kushite Pyramids) – Over 4,000 years ago, Africans built massive pyramids that still stand today. These were not just tombs; they were symbols of scientific knowledge. The precise alignment with the stars and mathematical calculations behind them are proof of advanced engineering.
The Great Zimbabwe (11th–15th Century) –
This massive stone city was built without mortar, yet its walls still stand strong today. It shows that Africans mastered architecture and civil engineering long before colonization.
Great Benin Moat and Bronze Works
The Benin Kingdom created one of the longest earthworks in history – a massive moat around their city which is longer than the Great Wall of China in terms of total length. Benin was also famous for its bronze sculptures, which were so detailed and advanced that European visitors in the 15th century could not believe Africans made them.
Timbuktu’s University and Libraries
The Mali Empire had one of the world’s earliest universities, teaching astronomy, medicine, law, and mathematics. Thousands of manuscripts from this era still exist, proving Africa’s intellectual acumen.
Advanced Metallurgy
African blacksmiths and engineers developed iron smelting techniques over 2,500 years ago. The Haya people of Tanzania had advanced furnaces that reached temperatures higher than what Europeans could achieve at the time.
MEDICINE AND SCIENCE
Surgical Knowledge
African doctors performed surgeries, including skull surgeries, before Europe even had modern hospitals. In Uganda, ancient surgical techniques used herbal anesthesia.
Mathematics and Astronomy
The Ishango Bone (20,000 years old), found in Central Africa, is the earliest known mathematical tool, proving that Africans were calculating numbers long before other civilizations.
Healing with Natural Medicine
African herbal medicine was so advanced that modern pharmaceutical companies still study African plants today. The Dogon people of Mali had knowledge of the Sirius star system that modern science only confirmed with telescopes.
ECONOMY AND TRADE
Gold and Wealth
Africa controlled the world’s largest gold supply. The Mali Empire alone controlled over half of the world’s gold production in the 14th century.
Global Trade Networks
African merchants traded with China, India, and the Middle East long before Europeans arrived. African cities like Kilwa and Sofala were economic powerhouses.
Advanced Agriculture
Africans developed irrigation systems, terraced farming, and soil fertility techniques that sustained large populations. The Dogon, Yoruba, and Bantu farming techniques influenced modern agriculture.
RELIGION AND ETHNIC MANIPULATION
Colonization as a predetermined vicious tool was designed to immobilize and strip Africans of knowledge driven education and value system. Colonialists destroyed historical archives and libraries, suppressed African moral value, and forced their own curriculum onto them. They replaced African history with a version that projects and perpetuates Africans as weak and dependent.
Various divisive and manipulative antics were deployed to cause suspicion and mistrust among ethnic nationalities that had lived harmoniously for centuries. Tribal supremacy continued to unleash hatred and violence among once trusted African brothers and sisters for petty issues like religion and ethnicity.
Religion And Mental Colonization
Africans were manipulated to believe that their traditions were evil. They were brainwashed to reject their own way of communicating with God, study of indigenous science, history wad deliberately discouraged and label fetish. Ideas of deep thoughts conversations geared towards providing practical solutions to emerging threats and challenges were suppressed. Africans were cajoled to obey and submit to all instructions rather than query and analyse issues that relate to their well-being.
Education System
To entrench servitude, colonialists discouraged Africans from learning engineering, medicine, and leadership, they introduced education system that brainwashed Africans into prioritising working for Western corporations and industries for wages and salaries. The goal was never to uplift Africa but to create a workforce that perpetually serve the colonial interests. Orchestrated “JAPA” syndrome was systematically entrenched and regrettably became the attractive standard till date.
For the continent to attain its full potentials, Political leaders must be reorientated to be patriotic and act intentionally to emancipate the people through continued positive reorientation. Seeking for foreign validation on every decision that affects well-being of citizens will never propel Africa to its greatness.
To turn the tide against entrenched modern day willing slavery, African governments must exhibit patriotism and political will to invest in, and drive combined modern and indigenous technology, revive knowledge driven education curriculum that engender human capacity development and food security.
African governments’ beggarly mindsets which prioritise costly foreign loans to solve internal basic needs is highly detrimental to the much craved economic emancipation and so, must stop. It fuels corruption and undermines national security. It must be discarded to guarantee enduring economic prosperity and security immune to external manipulation and sabotage.
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