Appreciating our culture

We have a very beautiful culture in Africa and we should therefore learn to value, cherish and appreciate it. Gone are those days when we used to respect our culture and considered it unique, we do not have value for it any longer. Our attitude of not appreciating our cultures leads to confusion and social misfortunes like bribery and corruption, kidnapping, rape and all of that.

We depend on the white people for everything without any slight likeness for what we have (our natural resources). For example, we don’t believe the food we eat are good enough, we only like the food of whites. That is why there are still unsolved problems in Africa today.

The famous line of Birago Diop’s poem, ‘Vanity’ comes to mind. The poem says thus: “Who then will hear our voices without laughter”. We do not know that the solutions to these problems are in our hands.

A man who does not know his root cannot also totally follow the western culture, we just need to go back to our roots to solve the problems. We must go back and check how our ancestors or forefathers solved problems during their time instead of depending on the white men.

Perhaps it is for this reason western people laugh at us because we do not believe we are talented or have good resources like them.

We have to believe in ourselves and stop over – dependent on the white man’s way. We are all special and also equal before our maker, we must therefore learn to be creative and also bring out new ideas.

IKEOLUWAPO OLUBANJO