Nigeria as a Failing State and the Black Man’s Dilemma
Part 1

I am writing an essay which core theme is that: there will be no respect for the black
skin (especially from Sub Saharan Africa) anywhere in the world until a society
of black people can run a country that will successfully compete economically,
politically and socially on the world stage. And before you say South Africa:
remember that South Africa may be on African soil and in recent times governed by
blacks; it was built by white people, originally for white people with strong institutions to
the standard of any western country. Now it is a ‘Rainbow’ country and that very identity
makes it different from countries like Nigeria, which was created by the British for the
Blacks to serve the Empire, and abandoned when it became a burden on the empire,
which created it. South Africa has not been abandoned by its creators and I don’t see
that possibility ever.

I will also exclude blacks of Western extraction like black Americans. They are black in
colour but they are not in the same boat with the blacks in sub-Saharan Africa. They may
suffer some of the indignities that attach to the black skin; sometimes; but they have a
defence: their American; British or whatever countries passport. I daresay that they will
continue to suffer these indignities sometimes until the failing states of the blacks in sub-
Saharan Africa can stand on a truly equal footing on the world stage.

I am not canvassing any kind of 'black supremacist nation(hood)'. That is irrelevant. And I
am less interested in the Western Countries role in the tragedy. But as long as the
black countries remain what they are; weak, corrupt, chaotic, poor and beggarly
with their citizens dying on ragged rafts on the high seas to escape to Europe;
the black colour will keep speaking: failure. That is irrespective of individual blacks
achievement.

I will keep posting excerpts from the essay on this site until I finish it.

Comments are welcomed.

© 2006 Olufemi Amao
OTHER ARTICLES
I wrote a piece on the
Alamieyeseigha  saga last year titled
'FUGITIVE FELON IN GOVERNMENT
HOUSE' read more here.
Read my article on Societal
Values and the Leadership
Crisis in Nigeria here
NIGERIAN LAW & POLITICS
Read my article published in the
Nigerian Guardian in 2002 on the  
problem with the Nigerian Police
here
Read my article titled 'Justice
delayed' published in Thisday
Newspaper here
NIGERIANS IN PERSPECTIVES
Breaking News!

Published by Routledge:
Corporate Social
Responsibility, Human
Rights and the Law:
Multinational Corporations
in Developing Countries

by Olufemi Amao

This book explores the interface between
CSR, human rights and the law in the
context of multinational corporations in
developing countries.

Order on Amazon.co.uk.