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Africa's biggest confusion is not merely that colonialism distorted their history, but Africans themselves now disagree on what their traditions really were. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the 2026 WTO Open Day  You think you know your culture? You have the traditions of your ancestors at the tip of your fingers? From the day of the Berlin Conference of 1884–85 to the conquest of Britain and France in your various countries, you have read and summarized everything like a book in preparation for an upcoming examination. I'm sure you can tell a few stories about the Arabian slave trade across North Africa. In your brain, your account of these stories is the most accurate and empirical of all accounts. Of course, you read them in books written by scholars grounded in African history. So, you are not wrong when you describe yourself as an authority on African history. However, have you noticed the recent misinterpretation of the norms, beliefs, and practices of the African people? Everyone...

From time immemorial, after the European invasion of Africa, Africa has always been in the battle of regaining its lost identity. This included its territory, culture, and traditions that are peculiar to its people. The struggle started during the 19th century when the Europeans laid out plans for industrial and economic expansion. This culminated in an agreement called the Berlin Conference of 1884–85, which saw the division of African territories among the powerful countries of Europe, like the United Kingdom, France, and Portugal. However, this arrangement met strong resistance from African natives. It led to fierce battles between the colonial masters and Africans. A typical example is the Ekumeku War (1883–1914). This war emanated as an opposition to the British conquest of their land, palm trees, and the imposition of taxes on the local people. The rebel group, which was made up of Western Igbo (Anioma), fought against the British for thirty-one years. Although the Ekumeku warrin...

People are permitted to be daft. It becomes a crime, however, when your daftness forms a tumour in your brain, and you can't tell the distinction between white and black. This was the condition of my friend, Johnson. Among our peers, Johnson was known as the boy with the pride of one hundred men. He had that intimidating swag that makes one beg for the ground to open and swallow him. He was always ready to impose his supposed wisdom on you in arguments. This is because he read opinion pieces and articles written by extremists, who parade themselves as intellectuals, online. Once, I had a fracas with Johnson. Initially, we had an argument about the political events in Nigeria. Obviously, Johnson argued with the political sentiments one could find in the opinion essays written by ethnic bigots online. However, I challenged him with my knowledge acquired through years of reading, research, and observing patterns in Nigerian politics. It is very funny and quite unfortunate that Johnson...

 "Goal ball joor". "Messi!" "Messi!" "Messi!" These shouts were the order of the day in my hostel as boys jumped in jubilation. The weather was tense as Lionel Messi's opponents blew curses into the air. Anyways, this is not my problem. My problem emanates from the fact that Africa doesn't support their own. A huge number of African students supported Argentina against Egypt. This underscores the disbelief we have in ourselves. We don't trust and support our culture. But we want to attain global recognition and reception. This is a great ridicule on our personality. When will we unite as Africans to achieve a common goal? When will we act like the giant we are and perform wonders? Africa, where is thy spirit of Pan-Africanism?

 Before Adaife was born, his wife, Nkemjika, had buried three sets of twins. It was really a painful moment not only for his wife, Nkemjika, but for him too. He couldn't even count the sleepless nights he had during the years they lost those babies.  Every morning, he would wake up looking strong and healthy. He would take his wife by the arm and console her. He would perform some of the house chores before going about his priestly duties. People saw him as an odogwu, a strong man. He was a model in the sight of the community. Every man, especially those who were in a difficult situation, saw him as a source of solace. If Okwudili, the priest of Amadioha, could withstand the raging storm, why couldn't they? But one thing they did not know was that every night, Okwudili had to fight those children in his dreams. His ears were filled with the piercing screams of those babies. These babies would make him lie on his belly while they painted his upper back with strokes of a cane. W...