The earliest experience of formal competition in one’s life is possibly as soon as one commences formal schooling. The moment one steps in school, one enrolls into a system that grades people’s abilities from best to worst. Immediately, children find themselves in an environment of “combat” to fit into the first positions of academic grading […]
For the slightly advanced in age, the title of this commentary makes little meaning. While like most other readers, their generation spent nearly what will account for a third of their lives pursuing academic degrees and other qualifications, for them it was the perfect thing to do. It paid them back with reliable employment and, […]
n old African tradition, elders held a special place in all aspects of social existence and the young accorded them respect, looked up to them. Elders offered guidance and counsel to the young and their experience mattered in forming societal path in virtually all spheres of life. This applied to defining family values, relations with […]
The coronavirus plague has had many consequences. One of them has been the realisation by nations that they must have enough in-country capacity to address crises and sustain themselves. The ability to sustain a self-supply of essentials of life is key for the sustainability of nations, as many will possibly agree now, having taken lessons […]
In my life, I have taken a number of corners. Some I have taken with braking, screeching, pain and bruising. Others have offered the reverse experience of rolling, celebration and healing. One such turn, in the latter category, I took just after I hit the age of 30. I started a job with an Indian […]
Viewing the world through today’s scan, it is hard to imagine a self reliant and even dominant Africa. Many people find no place in their imagination for the African in a position of superior skill and ability that would suffice for self-reliance in virtually all spheres of life. This perception of the African is well […]
Soon after independence, African states were in significant need of skilled resources to run their affairs. To address this need, some students would be trained abroad, especially in the former colonizing countries and the Soviet Union. Students trained abroad were expected and motivated to return to their home countries to contribute to their human resource […]
As of today, anything that threatens the world does so Africa to multiple proportions. This is due to continent’s bottom position on the global economy profile. The red signals flashing before earth are thus most critical for Africa than any other jurisdiction. It is up to us to live our lives as if these threats […]
Majority of Africans who use internet utilize it for social and entertainment purposes. They use it to stay in touch with family and friends. A Spring 2017 Global Attitudes Survey Report put the median Sub-Saharan African population who use internet for this purpose at 85 per cent. The same report highlights the next popular purpose […]
Societies derive a lot of value from taking pride in their founding fathers. It is difficult to have patriotic pride that is not anchored in history and it is not possible to have pride evoking history when we think of our forefathers with only disdain. There is researched link between patriotism of societies and their […]
Africans constitute the largest chunk of consumers of content of the BBC, according to a 2016 BBC article. At the same time, CNN reports that it is the biggest international media brand amongst affluent audiences across Africa, from a 2016 survey. That same survey puts the reach of CNN to the elite population of Africa […]
It is very possible that every nation in the world can get into complete self-preservation mode and cease to consider helping others. The coronavirus experience has given us a chance to look at that scenario from a distance. In any case, even countries with usual capacity to extend assistance to others can be instantly disabled […]