We’ve been tasked to write about our African Identity, and to be honest, I couldn’t relate because I don’t really feel in touch with my identity. I am from Delta state, Ogwashi-Ukwu to be precise, and I have never been there. I grew up with my mom, who is from Edo state, but because I lived in Lagos all my life, I refer to myself as a Lagosian.
Lagos is a metropolitan state that kind of encourages a mix of all cultures, but the most dominant one is Yoruba. I say this because as much as we talk about our African roots, there are still a lot of us Millennials or Gen Z’s who are out of touch with our African identity. We try to fill that void by finding a new identity that’s based on morality and humanity, which is influenced by our environment and the kind of movies we’ve been exposed to or education for those that schooled abroad.
I think the conversation here should be about how we preserve our culture and evolve such that it meets us at the place where we are now. Technology has changed so many things, how are we changing and evolving with it to ensure that the essence of our heritage is preserved?
Within our team, Memunat Ali-owe stands out for her profound connection to African culture. In every Africa Day celebration at Africa Prudential PLC, Memunat orchestrates vibrant displays of our heritage by making sure we’ve got those Atilogu dancers busting moves and an array of African cuisines. Last year, inspired by her enthusiasm, I found myself embracing my Benin roots; I was on the phone with my mom, begging her to ship me some Benin attire so I could get in on the action, even if it meant embarrassing myself in some traditional drama skit.
When I asked Memunat what “African Identity” meant to her, she said, “African identities are morals and beliefs that not only define the individual but also play a significant role in the African community. It is an important part of the cultural and traditional teachings of the native Africans.”
Memunat is from Lagos, and according to her, what she loves about Lagos is the diversity and colours. Lagosians are very free people, and very accommodating, and the festivals are quite amazing.
Another culture I find exciting is India; she added. I love how similar it is to ours, I love how they are big on family bonds, staying together, and eating together even after marriage. Their culture is so rich; I love how they respect their elders, and their wedding celebration is also beautiful. From her response, one can tell that she is a huge fan of ZEE World.
When asked to speak on a culture shock she has experienced, she said, “There is a part in Ghana where my mom is from; whenever a woman gives birth, the visitor must come and visit the child to ascertain if the child is theirs or a bastard. The visitor is their ancestor’s Snake. If it is their child, the snake will just cuddle the child and lick his or her head but if it is not, it will kill the child.”
“It’s very important to preserve our cultural heritage and stories; this is how we can build a better Africa for the next generation,” she added. A lot of opportunities exist within Africa for children and youth that we aren’t taking full advantage of, including the Youth in Africa (OYA) programme developed jointly by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in response to a dedicated call for accelerating efforts in job creation for African youth. These are the opportunities I can think of, off the top of my head. I think that we also need to do better as a nation.
I love what our Chairman, Tony Elumelu, is doing; not only is he encouraging intrapreneurship through Heirs Holdings, but he is also encouraging entrepreneurship through The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF). If more leaders can rise up and encourage Africapitalism, Africa would be a better place.
When asked about African upbringing, if she would consider it discipline or abuse, she answered and said that it’s “a great Discipline.” While I agree with her point of view, I also think that African parents can do better; children should be encouraged to be outspoken and have an opinion. You can teach them with love to express themselves better. I don’t think beating a child with Garri stick or sitting down on their head and beating them like a punching bag is discipline. That’s outright abuse. This is just my opinion, please don’t come for me.
So, let’s go back to Memunat; I went on to ask her how we can improve employment in Africa, she said “by Building Infrastructure facilities and improving the quality of education.” I think education is something we really need to investigate as a nation. Getting quality education has become a thing of your class in society. When you go to government-owned schools, some of them are below standard. Even some privately owned schools do not hire teachers who fit right into the role. We need to invest also in our teachers; they spend more time with our kids than we do. A lot of the training our kids receive is partly from their environment, education, and then parents/Family.
“We can tell our African stories better through music and dance,” she added. The entertainment industry plays a big part in telling our stories. I love how Nigerian filmmakers are beginning to catch up with this, and we have producers like Kunle Afolayan and Mo Abudu, changing the narrative and telling our story right.
“Nigeria has a really rich culture, and our food is the best on the continent. It’s a mix of everything. I can’t even try to pick. We have approximately 371 Nigerian tribes across over 250 ethnic groups; all of these have their own traditional food. How then can you say our food and culture, in general, isn’t rich?” she added.
So that will be all from the staple of AP’s MCC team. Even though this was both an article and a rant, I think the one take-home from this is that it is all our responsibility as parents and young people to uphold our culture. Try to find ways to infuse it into our lives no matter where we are. Let’s not lose sight of it but find ways to evolve despite technology, and for us to also remember that it is our duty to make Africa great again.
