In today’s concluding part of Ms Alice Frimpong Sarkodie’s ,Opinion Piece.”Arise! Africa: Pan Africanism is Diseased’,she takes a more critical look at the nagging issues of Politics,Education and Religion as they relate to pre-colonial Africa and the modern day African context.
She argues that, none of the three is bad in actual sense but what is bad about them is,when foreign parties give them,a deliberately manipulative foreign touch and then weaponise it against Africans intended to, derive maximum benefit therefrom, while Africa suffers gross disadvantage.
Now read on:
Let us be clear: Politics is not bad, Religion is not bad nor, Education.They were once Africa’s pillars of strength.Politics was once the art of consensus, where councils of elders led for the good of all.
Religion was once the spirit of Ubuntu, binding community, justice, and harmony with creation.
Education was once the passing down of wisdom, skills, and identity from one generation to the next.
What Made them Destructive?
What made them destructive was not their nature but their capture. When politics, religion, and education serve the imperialist agenda, they no longer build Africa—they weaken her. And this is where we are today.
Africa’s Task
The task is not to throw them away but to reclaim and repurpose them for Africa’s liberation.
Practical Activities for Mindset Change
Mindset change is not abstract—it begins with daily choices, community practices, and national policies. Here are pathways to healing:
- Practice Sharing Over Hoarding
At family level: share knowledge, resources, and opportunities instead of competing.
At community level: build cooperatives, communal farms, and joint projects.
At national level: pool resources across countries—why should Africa import wheat or oil when abundance exists within?
- Maximise Our Strengths
Celebrate African successes loudly. When an African country innovates, let the whole continent applaud and adopt it. Trade with each other first. Buy African, sell African, wear African.
Harness diversity. Our languages, cultures and traditions are not barriers; they are assets to create richer solutions.
- Go Beyond Self
Leadership: Serve not for personal gain but for generational impact.
Education: Teach children that knowledge is not just for jobs but for solving community problems.
Religion: Preach that true faith empowers justice, freedom, and service to others.
- Heal the Narrative
Stop saying, “Africans are corrupt by nature.”
Start saying, “Africans are resilient, creative, and capable.”
Tell our history of empires, inventors, and leaders, so the African child grows up proud, not ashamed.
The Shift We Need
Africa’s problem is not politics, religion, or education. The problem is when these serve empires instead of people.
The cure is mindset change.
Share instead of hoard.
Maximise instead of minimise.
Serve instead of self-seek.
When we reclaim politics for unity, religion for dignity and education for empowerment, Africa will not just rise—Africa will lead.
Arise Africa. The liberation begins in the mind.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by individual writers are to their sole discretion and opinion and not necessarily the official position of Eco-Enviro News,Africa magazine.
Opinion Pieces or Articles are welcome in as much as, they speak to the naggings issues as they relate to Africa’s development challenges,her growing economic competitiveness in an ever globalized economy,and the evolutionary process of the global financial architecture and the associated,emerging new partnerships and alliances
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