My Passion for African Issues

Passion is ignited then either the flame is nourished or it is quenched. I don’t know where that quote came from, but it was floating in my head and I thought I should use it. This short quote fits so well into becoming passionate about an issue. I feel that in order to become passionate about any issue, the issue has to resonate within oneself on a personal level.

I am a Nigerian, even though I was born and raised in the United States. Both of my parents are Nigerian and for a good portion of my life, I was mostly around Nigerians outside of school. Much of what I have known about this regional power in West Africa I learned from my parents, extended family, and family friends, all who were Nigerian. This bothered me. I seem to find myself asking: “Why are we not taught about Nigeria in school? In fact, why is the only country we hear about in class, if speaking of Africa as a continent, is only South Africa?” This question ignited a flame in me to learn more about this continent called Africa, that seems so distant from the Western World, but the more I learned about it, the less distant it seemed and the more I realized its importance to the global economy.

The more I have learned about this continent, and the more I learned about both of the countries I call home, my fire to spread word about my nationality and my ethnicity grew. I learned the relationship between Nigeria and the United States is just as clear as the relationship I have with the two countries. From an economic view, the United States receives a large percentage of its oil from Nigeria and the United States is one of Nigeria’s largest investors, if not the largest. However, this information is not widely taught in American schools and in American universities, you would need to be in a class that focuses on African economies, if the university provides a class of that nature.

I hope to provide easy access to education on Africa and not only its problems, but also its advantages and its progress. The fire that has sparked in me is still burning to educate as many people as possible and bring awareness of Africa, to no longer have people view Africa as a country, but as a continent with 48 countries, thousands of cultures and languages, and a vast and long history.