JOURNALS

ABSTRACT

The contemporary African situation has been a paradoxical and a pathetic one. Africa is presently battling with an identity crisis, socio-political and economic challenges. These challenges possibly arose from Africa’s experience of colonialism, neocolonialism, imperialism, globalization, poor national planning, hunger, diseases, abject poverty, intra/intertribal wars, irresponsible leadership, massive corruption, infrastructural deficit, weak government institutions, poor legal framework, poor water supply, violation of human rights and dignity, gender inequality, high infant mortality, poor health care system, irregular supply of power, environmental degradation, poor per capita income, lack of due process and low life expectancy. The objective of this paper is that African identity ought to be redefined, reasserted and reaffirmed. African identity demands the need for African emancipation and social order. African identity is a reflection on a better and deeper understanding of African situation. This paper adopts the analytical framework in discussing the pathology of African identity examined in the light of African existential, socio-economic and political situation. The principal findings of this paper are that Africans must redefine their identity through re-evaluation of their cultural values; that Africa is a rich continent and must be protected from any mundane interest. African societies take preferences on communitarianism over the cult of individualism. This paper suggests that Africans must disengage their minds from the vestiges of colonialism, neo-colonialism and imperialism. Africans must retrospectively turn their minds to African values, traditions and cultures. Africans must pursue a deeper understanding of African societies despite all their differences, fixations and specificities. This paper calls for the need for eclecticism and African renaissance using the principles of African communitarian consensus. African identity is based on a rich historical trajectory, identity, cultures, traditions and values. This paper concludes that Africa as a continent ought not to herself from the rest of the world.