When Europe influences Nigeria’s narratives

Is Africa a neo-colonialist continent, either by practice or belief? Recent events including the Fanta and Sprite issue tend to suggest this. Africans’ sense of identity is largely seen from European mirror. Africa must make moves including listening to WEF Africa’s advice on regional trade to deconstruct this and have self- determination. Daniel Obi writes.

The recent Fanta, Sprite products’ issue has again thrown up the question on self-determination of African people. The two products, exported to the UK around 2007 were said to be confisticated by UK authorities over content of benzoic acid. According to experts, benzoic acid is a colourless crystalline solid and a simple aromatic carboxylic acid. They said salts of benzoic acid are used as food preservatives.

This substance is used to preserve different kinds of foods, including fruit juices, soft drinks, barbecue sauces, salad dressings among others. The experts further said the substance is a useful chemical in manufactured products because it kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi.

It was gathered that standards of usage of the substance vary from country to country due to each country’s temperature and climatic condition. Nigeria prescribes 250 mg/kg while UK uses 150mg/kg and America prescribes 1000mg/kg. But Coca Cola said it instead uses less than 200mg/kg in those products.

In a judgement delivered recently in a suit involving Fijabi Adebo Holdings Limited & Dr. Emmanuel FijabiAdebo v. Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) & National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), a Lagos High Court directed NAFDAC to mandate NBC to include a warning on its bottles of Fanta and Sprite that its contents cannot be taken with Vitamin C as same becomes poisonous if taken with Vitamin C.

This order was perhaps premised on the fact that the products contain the preservative, benzoic acid. It was not clear whether the judgement also took in to consideration that the benzoic acid was higher than that of UK.

After the judgements, information among some Nigerians and in social media went viral that the two products which have been in existence for about 60 years in Nigeria were suddenly not fit for consumption. Their calculation was that if UK authorities did not accept the products, why should Nigerians drink them.

Then, if this aguement is reversed, are UK beverages produced with 150 mg/kg for their consumers and less than Nigerian prescription and  standard suitable for Nigerians? But Nigerians have been consuming Fanta and Sprite without problems.

The experts agree that when benzoic acid reacts with Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) in drinks, under certain conditions, benzene may be produced, but they said that this would be under extreme temperature of above 60 degrees. It is said that no part of Nigeria, even in Sokoto and Maiduguri have ever recorded upto 50 degrees Celsius.

Nigerians appear to have passion and penchant for foreign standards. Whatever Europe and West say, to some gullible Africans is correct.

In a statement, Sade Morgan, Legal, Public Affairs and Communications Director for NBC said the “wrong perception emanating from the media reports that our Fanta and Sprite beverages which are fully compliant with all national and international food quality and safety standards are unsafe,simply because their levels of Benzoic acid were not within the UK standards, is not only unfounded but also undermines the entire food and beverage industry in Nigeria which is regulated by the same ingredient levels approved by NAFDAC and other regulatory bodies for the country”.

It was therefore interesting that the Federal Ministry of Health has clarified the position of Fanta and Sprite, certifying both drinks  safe for consumers. According to a statement, the findings of the Ministry’s investigation revealed that both Benzoic acid and Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) are ingredients approved by International Food Safety regulators and used in many food and beverage products around the world.

Africa on the throes of Europe

From many facets, Europe  attempts to demonstrate supremacy over the African continent. Efforts by the continent to show ‘it has arrived’ (emancipated) is always ‘resisted’ by one form of undertone strategy or another.

It has also become obvious that European institutions have internalised this strategy to construct and make Africans’ sense of identity seen from European mirror. European and Western media portray Africa in the colour that suits their desires. Some see Africa as one country, poverty stricken continent, war-torn continent, undemocratic, and recently emerging market. The shape of Africa and its stories are told by them, believed by them and spread to the world.

This view gave rise to a controversial Chinese detergent Ad that shows a black man getting ‘washed’ before he could peck a lady.

Africans keying into Europe dictates

Recently, all the African delegates to the African summit in California were denied visas. Rejected participants to the trade summit came from Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ghana, South Africa and more, according to an information.

Whatever the reason of the denials of visas is, this humiliation tasks Africans to begin to hold their summit and trade among themselves to improve the regional trade before seeking trade partnership outside.  If Africans begin to take development seriously, Europe and West would seek for them.

At the 2013 Diageo journalists’ award held in London, most of the winners adjudged to have successfully told African stories came from Europe. The Diageo was in that year perhaps only stamping the European belief that Europeans are in the right position to shape and tell African stories better.

Winners from the 10 categories came mainly from the UK. Africa as a continent would continue to accept a situation where others would continue to define its objectives and realities, unless it achieves total decolonisation. According to analysts, Diageo journalists’ awards should be for Africans in Africa, writing about Africa.

In 2003, Diageo instituted Africa Business Reporting Awards to recognise journalists and editors who provide high quality coverage of the business environment in Africa. The awards recognise the fact that better business journalism plays an important role in Africa’s investment flows and generates more business interest on the continent.

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health must be commended for its decision on Fanta and Sprite in making us to realize ourselves. Africans much checkmate foreign influence, educate its citizens on this and have confidence in themselves.

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