Africa: An Alternative Narrative: Akpezi Ogbuigwe at TEDxFGCU
[Music] [Applause] dear friends I'm going to be sharing with you a perspective of Africa that you may not know because i' would like to invite you to see Africa's future but before then let me tell you a story that happened a few years ago in Africa when a woman gets married the next thing people look out for is the midrive to see if it's going to be getting bigger and bigger in kiru had gotten married to Mr Bantu and after the first year nothing happened her mother-in-law would visit and the first place she looks at is a direction and in kiru would have to look for different means to divert her attention hoping and praying that the next time her mother-in-law visit something would have happened and that was how the years went by 5 10 15 then on the 21st yeah one morning inquiry woke up and felt uneasy and a husband you know touched us Tommy the husband said what it's you're different and the watched something had happened a miracle had taken place in kiru was pregnant so they lovingly nurtured that pregnancy for 9 months suddenly one night the birth pangs came they descended akiru was rushed to the local hospital because they lived in a community far away from the city in that hospital there was no electricity but that didn't bother them because you really don't need too much of electricity to give bir the baby just coming out after the labor but this baby will not come out so the birth PS went on and on all night into the next day the doctor had to call Mr Bantu said Mr Bantu um you have to make a choice who do you want if I bring out the Baby Alive you may lose your wife but I can find a way to preserve the life of your of your wife but you may lose the baby in kiru overheard that and she screamed from where she was R in pain I said I want the baby I want the baby the doctor said then you know there's no electricity I only have this Lantern I don't have painkillers or anything to put you to sleep I may have to just cut you open and we take our chances she said I'm ready they didn't even have a bird in that hospital so it was on a bench she laid down on the bench and her husband Mr banto held her and the doctor carried out that bold operation and the woman was saying I want the baby I want the baby I want the baby and at last there was that miraculous cry the baby was born but inir had to go through that pain and the doctor had to teach her up crudely but she bore the pain because she wanted the baby luckily and happily they both survived the mother survived the baby survived those are the kind of heroic stories you find in Africa it's a great continent yes there are problems but there are strong people people who will not let the continent die like inkuru and her husband and the Doctor Who would go all land to make sure that Africa lives so now I would like to invite you to come with me and take a peep at Africa in year 2000 and 25 just imagine it is 5:00 a.m. November 24th 2026 2026 it was Tano woke up in his home in user Nigeria in the headline and the headline in the morning paper was the rush for Africa the model continent indeed this news was being published on all over the world on the internet mobile phones newspapers television sets Africa was indeed being besieged Land Air sea Roots were jammed as people of all color languages Creed sought to relocate to Africa this was not surprising Africa was the only continent where there was sufficient and organic food for everyone decent homes efficient ient and reliable infrastructure honest and dedicated leaders a continent of lush green forest flowing clear Rivers blue skies and clean air and the atmosphere was saturated with music from Birds children's laughter and the palm trees were swaying in Rhythm to the Cool Breeze no one could believe that only 15 years ago this same continent was The Wretched of the Earth where did diseases poverty corruption hunger and War were rampant rumor has it that this transformation was brought about by a small group of young men and women who through the sustainability dream rediscovered the principles that gave birth to the rich culture and values of Africa of the long-forgotten past they remembered the old African adage that home is where life is found in all its fullness the African child has only to take a few steps in his village to visit several who can substitute for his father mother brother sisters and they will treat him accordingly thus the child has many homes in his village and he simultaneously giver and receiver of widespread attention this extended family system widely practiced arst in Africa was one in which everybody was linked with all the other members through a complex network of spiritual relationship into a kind of mystical body consequently it was not just being that the African values it was being with others or being rooted in kinship that was an equally important existential characteristics of the African he was never isolated since several persons were assimilated into one parental role his father his mother's sisters into the role of mother his patrilineal uncle's daughter into the role of sister thus life was not just about me but about us not my well-being but our well-being and so the Revival of this Africa that reflected the sustainability dream of respect and care of the community of Life ecological Integrity Universal human rights respect for diversity economic Justice democracy and a culture of Peace began these small band of men and women took their message to the length and breadth of Africa reaching out to young and old rich and poor living by example refusing to give up winning disciples in the Ivory Towers Market places churches mosques shrines Sports Fields schools social Gatherings Farms Street everywhere they taught people to ReDiscover their god-given wisdom and wealth in themselves and to continue and contribute to that a willingness to create a better world they taught people to reject the LIE of poverty you could hear their heartrending but inspiring song rising from the bowels of the earth calling on African leaders pleading with African people resist corruption resist tribalism let us choose to trust each other stop sowing seeds of strife dissension and division set up structures that promote accountability set up political structures that serve the people not those which which feed upon the people don't crave Goods you cannot produce don't produce waste you cannot clean up don't accommodate politicians who go are borrowing to spend the monies on luxuries from nations are far off or Lodge the monies in accounts in creditor Nations these self acclaimed saviors and nothing but deceivers and Rogues they feed themselves fat in Parliament and starve a whole generation and strip the future bear Africa read yourself of such leaders leaders who look for easy routes to power and riches leaving their constituencies to wallow in poverty and disease they are like diseased trees to be cut down and bonded he who is not willing to serve without free cars houses and luxury goods should not stand to be voted not be voted for it is time to PR practice some appetite denying discipline the leadership of a Nation determines the direction of that Nation Africa you must dance to a new tune Africa you must break away from the dependency syndrome you are too richly endowed to beg open your eyes and see see your Rich Human Resources abundant natural resources waiting to be usefully tapped and managed for present and future Generations Africa it is time to throw away the Yoke of slavery it is time to sing a new song the song of true freedom and prosperity it is time to dance to a new tune the dance of joy and Justice this is a time a time for Freedom Africa you are too blessed to be cursed Africa you are too blessed to die there is success in your color there is success in your diversity there is success in your history there is success in your future choose to live and not die this is a choice you alone can make it is time time to endure birth pains like in kiru for that is the cost of Ren Africa learned to create value with little step forward and change your world step forward and rekindle the spirit of Freedom turn the music on and let the world hear the beat of the African drums the music of the African Soul Africa you must make your Renaissance happen you and nobody else you must want it badly enough to make it happen remember it is people who transform Nations and continents not gold not diamonds or oil so let us become hungry for this change let us be honest for this change let us be committed to the change let us dare to trust one another let us choose to succeed and build together this great continent of Africa change will happen when we choose to make the change for we make our choices and our choices make us let us invest in our people transformed people can indeed transform the world let us m Miz institutions everywhere and invest in our people so that we can reach a consensus for Action the crazy song of underdevelopment poverty ecological degradation disease corruption and so on in Africa must stop Africa is an opportunity to end poverty forever and ever Africa is an opportunity to hold back the desert Africa is an opportunity to have clean running streams Africa is an opportunity for good governance Africa is an opportunity for technological advancement Africa is an opportunity for Innovation and creativity project Africa is possible project Africa can be accomplished and now is a time and we are the generation those were the words of the song The sang with their voices and with their hearts with their hands and with their minds with their feet and with their strength far and wide their voices rang Africa's River Nile is generally regarded to be the longest river in the world this Grand River of Africa owes it worldclass status to the numerous tributaries that feed it from Africa's Great Lakes but for these small ferocious tributaries River Nile will be left bereft of its massive size and flow like the Nile this haunting song continue to flow having unintended consequences ripples of action that grew in intensity and ferocity cascading through the all sectors governance Education Health infrastructure transp Transportation Judiciary reples of action jolting the length and breadth of Africa these reples in turn contributing to the river of sustainability that must continue to flow all over Africa and beyond for livelihoods to be enhanced an effective and transparent governance of man and environment alike giving birth to the long-desired African R naations these men and women Africa's own teachers professionals Market women youths friends from abroad white and black men and women men reach and not so rich they shared resources encouraged each other and by shared doggedness and great sacrifice reached a critical mass and just like a dream the structures of nepotism greed came tumbling down giving way to a completely new world a completely new continent a continent of rivers and joy and equity and and goodness this indeed is the expression of the real Africa an Africa that is AF fluent FR Frugal in right relationship with the environment intergenerational in Outlook communal and adaptive what a continent what a Heritage Africa my Africa praise God you made it yes you made it you made it you made it Africa made it