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Nigeria And The Impacts Of Social Media

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Abdulkabir Muhammed

By Abdulkabir Muhammed

In a world that shrinks at every moment, social media has come to play a big role in humans’ life. It is a means of communication that allows users to communicate or publish their ideas independently to their audience (specific or general). Social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube have played both positive and negative roles in Nigeria, subject to the environment.

The 21st century saw a massive engagement of social media in Nigeria as people like to air their opinions, beliefs, feelings, and emotions. Nigerians conceive of it as means of sharing news—both fake and real. A 2023 ranking by World of Statistics rated Nigeria as the number one country which spent more time, on social media, with an average of 04:20 daily. The consequences of social media do not lie only in its obstruction of human consciousness, it is responsible for the many atrocious experiences that Nigeria has witnessed and may continue to witness, if the bud of social media’s negativities is not nipped. Its effects have reverberated in the political, socio-religious, and economic lives of the citizens.

Since the 21st century, Nigeria’s electioneering has been marked with turbulence and violence. This is owing largely to social media. Although propaganda, arrests, attacks, and assassinations permeate Nigeria’s electioneering in the post-colonial period, the 21st century transition into democracy and the assuming engagement of social media have birthed a Nigeria which witnesses physical and internet assaults during and after elections. On social media, political parties and elites are downgraded and libeled; leaders are painted in an outrageous image that does not only portray the inefficacy of an administration but also, denigrates Nigeria’s reputation to the outside world. This is not in contrast with freedom of speech, but the Nigeria’s case is alarming. More also, social media has been utilized as a way of keeping record of events which would later serve political objectives. In essence, people use social media to keep records of people’s sayings or deeds in order to use them against them in the future. This act was replicated during the ministerial screening conducted to usher in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu in 2023. One of the nominees who is now the current Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr Olabosun Tijani, was accused of having degraded and slammed the House of Assembly in a Twitter tweet posted years ago. He was made to apologize to the leaders before he could take a bow. This was social media complementing the Yoruba mantra, “Iyan ogún odún a ma a Jo ni lówó felifeli” (the fingers can still feel the heat of a 20-year-old pounded yam) which connotes that whatever goes around comes around.

Furthermore, social media has aided misinformation, which may be (often) intentional or not. Rumors and fake news are spread all over the media for political motifs. This has led to misconception of some innocuous policies of the government by the citizens. During the 2023 Naira Redesign, there was a lot of misinformation as people took to the media to say what they liked. There were rumors of the government allowing the old notes when the government had not approved them .Opponents and critics seize the media for propaganda, which further weakens the Nigerian government. For instance, there was rumors in the first four years of President Buhari about his death. Some even believed he had  an ear problem. He was symbolized in several derogatory images, like his predecessors. All of these are aided by social media. There is no gainsaying that social media largely inflamed the 2020 End SARS Protest and has been serving as a means to protesting against government policies and actions—both good and bad.

Although the economic impacts of social media may be commendable, many fraudulent transactions are, however, performed on it. Cases of fake jobs that resulted in kidnapping and rituals are not limited. Many fraudulent transactions are conducted on social media, which leads many into the jinx of poverty, so much so that, people commit suicide. The issue of “Yahoo-Yahoo” fraud that has now domiciled in the nation is another aspect to deal with. Yahoo fraudsters meet their “clients” via social media: First as friends, but later transmogrified into exploiting (gbajue) the client (maga or mugu). They go to people’s social media pages and handles to get information about the person and the deal kicks off from there. Although, fraud and trickery are as old as humanity, it has had a new dimension since the advent of social media which now enables many people to carry out the obnoxious act easily. They do not need to know or meet their clients physically; they can carry out their scam via their mobiles while in their comfort zones.

Another impact of social media on Nigerian societies is its spread of bad cultures and moral decadence. In African societies where values used to take a big place in a human’s life, western cultures have predominated (through the social media) and abused the original cultures: it has led to diminishing of values. Immoral dressings and slangs are easily spread via social media. Some media influencers incite other users. They are liked and loved for their strange dress styles, hairstyles, haircuts and vulgar speeches. Nigerians go extra mile to create contents that would earn them more subscribers and followers. They are sure, of course, that the bulk of the unemployed Nigerians would waste their time viewing and liking the “funny” contents while they await the government to serve them their daily bread. A particular Nigerian “pastor” would consistently post contents filled with vulgar talks. Yet, he is the same pastor who enlightens a number of Nigerians on the words of God; leads prayer services and also serves as role model to church members. Nigerians do not deem it immoral chanting some of his curses and immoral languages on streets and at homes. It’s all about the trending. However, traditional Nigerian societies do not take a speech for granted: it was considered as a raw egg which shatters when dropped on the floor. It appears that social media harbingers are there for recognition. Hence, they want to do anything that would “market” them to the world, whether good or bad.

Social media is largely responsible for the psychological challenges that many Nigerians are confronting today. Oppression and depression are some of the critical consequences of social media in Nigeria. The advent “of social media life” has caused a lot of catastrophes to the Nigerian population and economy. People consistently post their achievements on social media, not for their alleged purpose to motivate, but to oppress fellow Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike. Hence, an average Nigerian who could not feed themselves except having to run after buses and lorries during traffic jams would begin to realize the kind of world that they have found themselves: how they are nothing before their younger ones who would always assume one role or the other, buy cars from time to time, post their houses and more especially their gorgeous outfits. We wonder not, therefore, why Nigerians go extra mile borrowing—or even loaning—materials like jewellery , cars, cloths, bags and shoes. They have to retaliate by showing the world that they, too, are not lagging behind. Consequently, those who do not have the means of acquiring these precious materials resort to stealing, armed robbery, or worse still, killing themselves in order for them to breathe. This attitude has demonstrated to us that we have two lives as Nigerians: the life on social media and the life in the real sense of things.

Again, social media has inarguably aided the spread of terrorism in Nigeria. Several ideological groups now dominate the internet today; they have platforms across media to spread their ideologies and initiate people into their organizations. Here, think of the Islamic States of West Africa Province, ISWAP, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram. Likewise, kidnappers and armed robbers use the social media in tracking their victims.

Also, a vivid examination of the rapid ill-literacy level in Nigeria reflects the immodest use of social media as people learn wrong spellings and grammatical errors through it. Everybody is a teacher and a mentor. Wrong abbreviations by many youths today are consequential of social media trends. These abbreviations—”ain’t” instead of “aren’t”, “d” in place of “the”, “bcos or cos” representing the English word “because”, “Nvm” depicting “never mind”, among others–do not only sound irritating; students have become addicted to them, such that they reflect in exam essays. By implication, such an essay is deprived of full grade.

In the marital realm, the overuse of social media has resulted in divorces. As a result of immodest use of social media, couples lose trusts in one another, which, often times, culminates in breakups. Moreover, some couples spend their time on social media while leaving their responsibilities undone. This is why even where any bond exists, couples cheat on, and do not love one another as they ought to. This has sometimes led to murder. Cases of murder by couples for reasons concerning dishonesty or adultery are not uncommon in Nigeria.

These notwithstanding, however, social media has contributed immensely to job opportunity through networking, thus helping to mitigate the unemployment rate in Nigeria. Undoubtedly, Nigerians are best content creators. Social media helps business entrepreneurs to reach a wider audience within a short range of time, thereby contributing to the economy. It has also served as a source of revenue for the government. The National Bureau of Statistics reveals that the federal government within a period of fifteen months had received a total of 1.98tn between January 2022 and March 2023, from taxing foreign digital firms, of which social media takes a bulk.

It is also noteworthy to state social media’s significance in the educational environment. Social media has enabled easy learning process. Conferences, webinars and classes are conducted online; on WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. Quite noteworthy is the fact that social media assumed the role of a savior during the Covid-19 pandemic. It became the means through which classes, conferences, and programs were held.

As has been demonstrated, the cons of social media in Nigeria tend to outnumber its benefits. Regrettably, globalization is indomitable, and it will only be utopian to stop people from using social media. Suffice to encourage Nigerians on a moderate use of the social media. The conventional media (national dailies) should continue to mitigate social media rumors by demystifying information and national issues on their media platforms. But it is a matter of prominence that the government regulates the use of social media, like other global power states, while not infringing on citizens’ right to freedom of expression. More importantly, Nigerians must change their mindset towards misuse of rights and opportunities. Hence, no positive development would serve its intended purpose in Nigeria.

Muhammed is of the Department of History and International Studies at the Lagos State University. He can be reached via abdulkabirm87@gmail.com

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Opinion

Professor Fallou Ngom And The Successful Ajami Projects

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Dele Jegede In Conversation With Prince Yemisi Shyllon
Prof. Toyin Falola

By Toyin Falola

It is a pleasure to witness the fruits of the long labor of Professor Ngom and his fellow researchers, recently released in three volumes, African Ajami Readers, covering Wolof, Mandinka, and Hausa (https://sites.bu.edu/ria/). Professor Ngom and I have discussed this project for nearly twenty years, even sharing updates about his travels to Senegal, Casamance, and Guinea. I congratulate Professor Ngom, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Jennifer Yanco, and Elhadji Dibril Diagne. I will surely put the volumes to good use. Based on his Ajami research, we invited him to the University of Texas to speak, and he also enlightened the public about it at Lagos State University and Adeyemi College of Education.

In recent times, African studies and history have been subjects that have pounded into the consciousness of different scholars across the globe, occasioned by the laurels and accolades that African writers have gotten. These writers have not only written on discourses to express their thoughts, but they have done so in consonance with African culture and identity. Wherever there is an African thought, concept, or philosophy, we are sure to find an African identity. It is one thing to create awareness and a different ball game to sustain such awareness such that it promulgates a new order whereby African studies are elevated to the highest echelon of academia. It would be very untruthful not to concede that African studies have suffered relegation; for one, the diversity within African culture makes it somewhat arduous to conceptualize some of the discourses. Also, the infusion of colonial narratives has, in some ways, diluted African instinctual cultures.

Prof. Fallou Ngom

As scholars, we recognize our role in the decolonization of Africa, and it is not solely the responsibility of the government and its parastatals to wage this war. To this end, it is crucial to proliferate African studies in some undiluted forms. The Ajami text presents a unique opportunity to achieve this. Utilizing Ajami sources can galvanize efforts to energize African studies. Ajami represents a process of linguistic adaptation, wherein the Arabic script is modified to write various non-Arabic languages. Its usage predates colonial rule and, as a result, colonial administrators familiarized themselves with Ajami and used it in their correspondence with local emirs. Ajami texts provide Indigenous narratives on culture, social life, politics, and more, which are often overlooked in colonial archives. Notably, Lord Lugard employed a similar strategy in his conquest mission of 1900. Realizing that Hausa was the dominant language, he sought to strengthen his grip on local rulers, particularly in Hausa communities. Therefore, Hausa was transcribed into Roman, and this Romanized Hausa was termed “Boko,” meaning Western education. This methodology allowed for effective communication between the colonizers and the Hausa subjects, similar to the use of Ajami texts.

Ajami texts encompass sociological, historical, and cultural knowledge largely unexplored by elite scholars writing in Arabic and European languages. These manuscripts cover diverse subjects, including science, philosophy, diplomacy, and literary works such as folktales and narratives. Additionally, the texts contain discussions on pharmacopeia and medical conditions like stomach ailments and rheumatism. Ajami serves as a medium for scholarship across all fields of intellectual inquiry. This raises a critical question: how come such a rich body of academic investigation exists, yet we suffer from a lack of information on African studies?

A significant disconnect exists in contemporary scholarship between Arabic scholars and their counterparts proficient in various African languages. Many scholars who specialize in Arabic are often not well-versed in the linguistic nuances of African languages, while those fluent in African languages often have little knowledge of Arabic. This linguistic divide poses a major challenge in studying a vast corpus of historical documents inscribed in modified Arabic scripts. These documents are essential to understanding the cultural and historical contexts of African societies; however, they remain primarily neglected and underexplored in archives scattered across the continent. As a result, the rich intellectual heritage encapsulated in these Ajami texts risks being overlooked. Nonetheless, it is a call for the academic exploration of these texts on a much broader scale.

It is commendable that the University of Boston has incorporated and sponsored research on Ajami texts. The team is led by the esteemed Professor Fallou Ngom, a key contributor to the study of Ajami texts in elucidating African history and culture. According to Ngom and his team, “This project aims to enhance the comprehension of Ajami literature in sub-Saharan Africa by conducting a comparative analysis of four prominent West African languages: Hausa, Mandinka, Fula, and Wolof.” The Ajami literary traditions of the Sahel offer valuable insights into the historical narratives and lived experiences of local populations. Although these systems emerged from a shared purpose of disseminating Islam, each Ajami framework has evolved along a distinct path, influenced by localized cultural, social, and political dynamics.

One of the stumbling blocks of African studies has been the enduring influence of colonial narratives. Decolonizing African studies as a discipline requires unearthing ancient landmarks of African identities that can offer an Afrocentric perspective of the discipline, hence the prominence surrounding Ajami texts. In retrospect, the proliferation of Islam in Africa, particularly in the Sahel, was successful. However, Arab Muslims still consider African Muslims inferior to them, a perception that has etched its way into politics, governance, and education, despite African countries’ independence from colonial fetters.

We would be simple-minded to say that the investigation of Ajami texts in varied concepts in the four languages is just a pedagogical and linguistic exercise. In reality, it spans far beyond that–it is an investigation into the history of language and culture, as well as the methods through which Islam meandered its way to non-Muslims on the continent and its widespread practices. This exercise would expunge the stigmatization that these regions face from colonial narratives, often drawing bias from the practice of religion. This alone is a victory for African studies, which has existed for some decades (post-World War II) but has faced literary challenges further exacerbated by neo-colonialism, globalization and cultural hegemony.

Over the years, another challenge of African studies is its reliance on European archives, which have always systematically presented narratives that would engender Eurocentric views even in African discourses. It should not come as a surprise that a system built in Europe would not sponsor African ideologies at the expense of European dogma and methodology, as everyone promotes their own.

Recordkeeping systems are inherently biased. These systems perpetuated a distorted portrayal of social order, one that colonial administrators used to maintain governance through violence and control. As representational frameworks, colonial archives reflected a particular culture and the infrastructures supporting it. Consequently, archival institutions played a crucial role in shaping the ideological frameworks of national histories and may have acted as active facilitators of colonial oppression.

Ajami manuscripts offer a valuable alternative by articulating indigenous perspectives on significant historical events, political systems, and social structures. These texts serve as vital records of oral traditions, local governance, and quotidian life in African societies, predating European colonial intervention. Much of the Ajami scholarship during colonial Africa comprised Arabic and Western scholars rather than African community members. However, after the demise of the colonial African state, there was a massive entry of African scholars into Ajami scholarship. This shift helped to refine the information in the Ajami archive, allowing us to truly understand the enormous impact and contributions of the Ajami archive in uncovering Afrocentric themes and ideologies and its preservation.

It is not enough to create a consciousness around a discourse that diminishes over time. A system that sponsors its sustenance and vetoes its eradication should be implemented. This is an opportunity for African scholarship to preserve the ordinances of African study and history through the Ajami archive. We are often guilty of delimiting African studies to history, literature, and language. History, however, presents a much more persuading narrative, noting that Egyptian medicine and innovation are the blueprints, or to be cosmopolitan, the patent through which most of the miracles of medicines and the wonders of engineering have been discovered.
The Ajami archives hold evidence supporting the above assertions. Texts on pharmacopeia, botany, and indigenous healing practices exemplify the extensive knowledge held by African communities regarding the medicinal properties of plants and their applications for ailments such as gastrointestinal disorders and rheumatism. These writings illuminate Africa’s rich tradition of scientific inquiry, contesting the prevailing notion that the continent’s scientific knowledge was exclusively imparted through colonial interventions.

Despite its value, Ajami texts may continue to be marginalized because of language limitations and inaccessibility. While efforts have been made to explore these texts in four languages, it is a humble submission that we employ more African scholarship to go beyond this milestone. With thousands of indigenous languages in Africa, exploring just four languages barely scratches the surface. Another perspective to this linguistic approach is preserving indigenous African languages, a fundamental aspect of African studies.

The digitization of the Ajami archive would help address its inaccessibility. The more proliferated the texts become, the more African scholarship can interface and interact with rich historical narratives. This would help bridge the lacuna and divide in African scholarship, moving away from the “hush-hush” topics on African studies, history, and progression.

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Reading Femi Osofisan’s Well-languaged Mind (2)

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Readers’ Showers Of Encouragement
Prof. Tony Afejuku

By Tony Afejuku

Femi Osofisan may not share my contention or feeling in this wise – and I don’t expect him to, but let me add with some spectacular enthusiasm that I am delighted to write him unquestionably, but with modesty, into the canon of any of our currently living poets of his birth-age or of around his birth-age whose poetry flourishes as that of a predecessor and as that of a contemporary at the same time. How many of our critics will agree with me? And how many of our young or younger poets will be tempted to echo my perspective in terms of where specifically we can place Femi Osofisan or limit him to generation-wise?

A young – or a younger – Nigerian poet and scholar, Owojecho Omoha, who, among others, chooses to admire what I write and do, after reading the first part of the essay last week, sent me the following message (among other things he talked about): “Now, your apprehension, that is, your worries, where to place erudite Femi Osofisan. The apprehension leads nowhere, but here and now. Osofisan belongs to the fourth generation of Nigerian poets. Poetry is not the drama that he co-founded. TA, you were there before Osofisan, I was poetically born far back in 1988 with Ogaga Ifowodo, Uche Nduka, Olu Oguigbe and others, in Harry Garuba’s Voices From the Fringe. Generations are born; Osofisan’s poetic birth has just been announced.” Do I agree with this wholly smart young and younger poet and scholar of the University of Abuja that (among other observations of his) “Osofisan’s poetic birth has just been announced”? The answer is an obvious capital NO. Professor Osofisan’s Remember Tenderness and The Jeweller of the Night (Volume 1 and Volume 2), which, as already said, contain his old, selected, and new poems, are unquestionably collections of a well-languaged master, of a well-languaged high master, whose subjects defy – or are not limited to – generations. In any case, the selected poems – a good number of the selected poems – pre-dated several of Osofisan’s plays. His draw-back, so to say, I think, can be attributed –and I am attributing it – to the fact that Femi Osofisan gave thought to himself more as a playwright and dramatist than to himself as a poet – when he began his creative and writing career – who looked forward to artistic accomplishment. If his reputation did not soar as a poet, or if he did not carry himself as a poet, it was because he cared more for drama than for his own image or reputation as a poet. Maybe he was determinedly following the artistic footsteps of Wole Soyinka – his and our creative egbon for all seasons, and for all generations – as Achebe, and JP Clark also emerge in our bouncing imaginations. Thus I am leading myself to say that like Soyinka, specifically, Femi Osofisan, as a practitioner of poetry of all kinds – as I shall demonstrate when the inspiration descends on me shortly to look at some poems in the volumes, the outstandingly well-languaged poet maintains the pose of a contemporary humanist indignant at the follies of our age and clime. And “the follies of our age and clime” are the follies of our generation (and of those before ours).

Let me not give the impression that I am in absolute disagreement with Owojecho Omoha (and anyone who shares or may share his belief, grounds or no grounds). Let me also not give the impression that I am not in control of my thought – as per what I set out as my undertaking here – and as per the question I posed relating to the actual generation Femi Osofisan belongs to – or as we may apportion or appoint him – as a poet. What are the accurate generations of poetry in our clime and age? If, as Owojecho Omoha claims, we already have up to four generations (he claims our subject belongs to the fourth generation, as already alluded to above), what is the true or correct number of the generations of Nigerian poetry, given the fact that younger poets, many of them unknown, are still writing? More significantly, what is the span of years each generation covers – or seems to cover? Besides, I must note, strongly, that the birth-age of a poet should not be considered in any discussion or attempt to limit the work, especially the best work – even if it is a poem – of a/the poet to a particular generation. We should perhaps examine the flavours of the inspirations that led or gingered Osofisan and poets such as Niyi Osundare, Tanure Ojaide, Romanus Egudu, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Ossie Onuora Enekwe, Odia Ofeimun, Ezenwa-Ohaeto, Olu Obafemi, Amatoritsero (Godwin) Ede, Abdul Rasheed Yesufu, Maik Nwosu, Yusuf Adamu, Mabel Evwierhoma, Akachi Ezeigbo, Amaechi Nicholas Akwanya, Owojecho Omoha, Kola Eke, Clement Eleghosa Odia and others – other gems of our creative literature, to write what they wrote – or have/had written in their early years or ages, and, as the case may be, towards their middle and old ages. In the context of my argument they definitely do not belong to the same age-bracket(s), but their respective pre-occupancies in varying degrees unite them – even though they do not employ the same style or technique or approach in their craft, or write/wrote with the same intensity, emotions and maturity – even as they wax/waxed elderly amid the throng of their creations.

What, however, distinguishes or disunites them ultimately as Nigerian poets of a particular or of the same generation, or, of different generations are their different notions of poetry or (of) their separate species of the school(s) of poetry whose doctrines or philosophies they espouse – or seem to espouse. (I may be contradicting myself, but my contradiction, if it is visibly visible, should be blamed on the poets’ peculiar thrushes – song thrushes).

With particular reference to Femi Osofisan to whom this essay is devoted, it is vital to remark, or, better, to ask, at this point in the essay: What school(s) of poetry is his? And what are his poetic doctrines, including his philosophy? And why is he really appealing to study as a poet? As this gleaner is gleaning from his Remember Tenderness and The Jeweller of the Night, Femi Osofisan writes or composes heterogeneous poetry as his thrush allows him. What does the gleaner mean in exact and precise terms? I must keep my readers in abeyance and suspense by quoting Owojecho Omoha again:

“Again, you beat me to being a gluer, a writer engagingly engaged in mentally dragging the reader so much that at a point, he/she fascinatingly accepts to being a captive. I mean that you theoretically captured me in this writing. Truly, and I mean every moment of my mental shift as a reader re-engaged me. I was enthralled. When I suddenly got to the end, I was saddened. The sadness! Nothing more to read other than the fading anthem: ‘Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059.’

“The simulation and empathy co-existing with my imagination dragged me this far to behave like Oliver Twist. Being a gluer, TA, you played on me. You are a gluer of immense proportion.”

What a vitally vital composition that cannot (and could not) but enthuse the gleaner (and his un-alienated audience)!

To be continued.
Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059.

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Opinion

Professor Bethwell Ogot, 1929-2025: A Pillar Of Nationalist Historiography

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Dele Jegede In Conversation With Prince Yemisi Shyllon
Prof. Toyin Falola

By Toyin Falola

I went in search of Professor Ogot, as I looked for Professors Jacob Ade Ajayi and Adu Boahen. I traveled to Kenya and Ghana to meet both great men. I published the collected essays of the three of them with Africa World Press. With Atieno Odhiambo, I co-edited The Challenges of History and Leadership in Africa: The Essays of Bethwell Allan Ogot. We met several times—in France, the United States, Kenya, Tanzania, and in many unforgettable moments. I respected his elderly status, and I let him do the talking. In Houston, he was hosted by Rice University, and I drove down to have a moment with him. A great library, his store house of knowledge had depth and breath. Never a time would I be with Professor Maurice Amutabi that we will never talk about Professor Ogot and members of his generation. He survived them all. They are all gone, but the history of the moment remains with us.

Life’s deepest lessons often reveal themselves with time, as human nature inclines us to grow in knowledge and understanding as we age. One of these enduring truths is the inevitability of endings—no matter how deeply we cherish an idea, an individual, or an experience, everything must eventually come to an end. But instead of worrying ourselves sick over the inevitability of death, we should take lesson from the deeper philosophy underpinning this inevitable phenomenon: our time in this world is finite, and within that limited span, we must strive to leave a lasting impact. The human family is, therefore, expected to utilize their limited time to create maximum impact so that they would leave a mark after they have gone. Life continually reminds us that no matter how virtuous or accomplished we are, nature does not grant special exemptions. Mortality is an unyielding constant; we are all subject to its call. It is in this light that we reflect on the passing of Professor Bethwell Ogot, a renowned Kenyan and pioneer historian of Africa, who has now gone to join the ancestors. Upon a reflection on the life of this now fallen iconic figure, it is safe to say that he made irreplaceable marks in the history book.

It is on this note that I commiserate with the body of African intellectuals who would sorely feel the vacuum created by the exit of this outstanding individual in the African intellectual space. I extend my deepest sympathies to this body of scholars and thinkers who will feel the weight of his absence. Our grief is not merely personal but collective — borne not just of sorrow but of the awareness that the loss of such a major figure leaves a void in our shared pursuit of knowledge and progress, which will continue to be felt by us the living. Professor Ogot was not just a member of an African intellectual family but a revolutionary force.

Generally, scholars of African origin born during the heydays of colonialism were destined to make unique contributions—ones that many might not have fully grasped the consequences. They belonged to a generation that witnessed and endured the systematic dehumanization of both their identity and intellect. It was a time when they were forced to internalize foreign ideologies that stood in stark contradiction to their indigenous ways of knowing. As a result, they were exposed to dangerous and detrimental learning content, which ultimately stripped them of capacity for broad, independent reasoning. This reality or awareness reinforces a critical truth: colonized Africans could not expand their intellectual horizons solely through Western educational frameworks. The colonial system conditioned them to engage with knowledge from a singular, imposed perspective, limiting their ability to conceive ideas beyond that rigid structure.

Professor Ogot was born into this dehumanizing reality: when colonizers were actively expanding their reigns in Africa, consolidating their imperial status by taking charge of many African countries’ political and economic systems. Even when he had no idea that he would be a historian of international stature, he conformed himself and learned in different ways. Although the Western education system was enforced in the academic environment, those of his period also had the opportunities to learn from their parents and absorb knowledge preserved through generations or oral medium and transferred to them using the same platform. This became the foundation of their clear resolve against external aggressors. Armed with both intellectual depth and historical awareness, they stood as the defenders of African identity and autonomy against these external forces that sought to exploit them for material gain.

One of the first points of his campaign and advocacy for epistemic democracy is that African knowledge centers and Indigenous epistemologies should not be sacrificed on the altar of epistemic oppression because they were assumed to be inferior. He was one individual who mastered the art of knowledge transfer bequeathed to him through his lineage and other social agencies of socialization and knowledge exchange. Given his reality and background, Professor Ogot was not easily swayed by arguments that sought to delegitimize African ways of knowing.

Professor Ogot was one of the prominent African historians who amplified African historiography by stating that the universal pattern of handing down historical information contradicts and even undermines those available in their continent. This is underscored by the awareness that the assimilation of Western-derived history poses a very grave danger to the cognitive evolution of the colonized people. If anything, the amplification of European history in Africa and to Africans has the potential to erase all the great things that the African forebears have achieved. It cannot be overemphasized that Africans would benefit tremendously only when they use their history to build or develop their younger ones. The underlying reason for the projection of African historiography is that it would provide a more nuanced and balanced approach to the history available in Western-based schools. It did not take Ogot and scholars like him long to recognize that the relentless promotion of Western history was not merely an academic preference but a strategic tool for reshaping African minds in ways that served external interests.

After successfully making a case for African historiography, Professor Ogot exposed the underhanded consequences of colonialism and how that sacrilegious experience had contributed to the desecration of the African past and then the deceleration of African progress. If anything, Ogot ensured that the adverse problems associated with colonialism were highlighted in such a way that Africans, and potentially other ex-colonies, would understand the operations of colonial politics and how they would be used in the future for familiar reasons. Ogot stressed in many of his works that colonialism was a cancer to African economic development. This conclusion he arrived at following his realization that the extractive policies imposed on the African people were meant to sabotage their possibility of economic initiatives.

It is a well-known fact that when people are deprived of economic power, they often find themselves in a state of disarray, unable to make independent decisions or shape their destinies within their communities. It cannot be overlooked how the indiscriminate extraction of African natural resources contributed to reducing their economic opportunities and values, which ordinarily should be under their control. The devastation extended beyond just financial ruin; history has shown that when a people’s economic foundations are dismantled, their political systems inevitably become a target—often weakened and manipulated to the point of near irreparability. The erosion of economic autonomy, therefore, was not just an economic setback but a deliberate strategy to undermine Africa’s self-determination. In essence, Professor Ogot performed excellently in revealing the dangers of imperialists.

All these were done simultaneously so that he could make a profound mark in the intellectual community of the African people. No one familiar with Professor Ogot would disagree with the conclusion that he was dedicated and selfless, especially regarding issues that he considered essential. The problem of African identity and culture is a central theme in the writings of this once-in-a-lifetime intellectual. He advocated for a lifestyle of Africans that would principally elevate their original identity. He was a staunch believer in the philosophy that people exist and would continue to, only when they take the issue of their identity very seriously. Numerous lectures and countless publications credited to this precious mind are available today, where he projected the fundamentals of the African identity. He has always intoned that promoting such an idea would automatically yield the opportunity to make them popular or known in the general scheme of things. His intellectual productions revealed the African perspectives on general topics. He had a special preference for African culture and made no pretense about making local practices to be embraced across the continent. He was not merely an advocate of African heritage—he was a driving force behind its intellectual elevation. In countless ways, he and scholars like him positioned Africa on the global stage, affirming its relevance in the world of ideas and scholarship.

To a considerable extent, Professor Ogot was a staunch decolonial scholar who projected outstanding accomplishments of Africans in the past and the present, to ensure that Africa’s legacy was recognized and celebrated. While academics like him would have prioritized knowledge transfer as a means of intellectual empowerment, Professor Ogot did more than this. He was a mentor to many of us. If anything, he was able to show people ways to navigate the complexities of their existence and life, equipping them with insights to overcome the towering challenges imposed by history and circumstance. Across different African countries, one would find a handful of individuals who have directly or indirectly benefited from his mentorship—whether through personal interactions or by engaging with his work and ideas. Married and blessed with children and grandchildren, he can be said to have made a very profound impact in life because he provided opportunities for people to learn, grow, and leave their own indelible marks on the world. His life was not merely lived; it was purposefully dedicated to the intellectual and cultural empowerment of an entire continent. A giant tree has fallen, and we are grieving. History is grieving. African scholarship is grieving. Till we meet again, keep resting in the Luo soil, keep resting, my dear Professor Bethwell Ogot.

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