History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are. - David C. McCullough
The current issue of New African has a great spread on Ghana, one of the articles that caught my attention was about an innovative programme launched by the Ghanaian government called The Joseph Project
The Joseph Project is part of an elaborate plan to establish Ghana as the homeland for Africans in the diaspora. The project takes its name from the story of the Biblical Joseph who was sold into slavery.
Ghana is using the 50th anniversary of its independence which coincides with the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, to reach out to Africans in the diaspora to return to the motherland and help in its development.
So what is Nigeria doing considering Badagry was a major slavery port?
Nothing..
A brief history lesson:
In the early 1500's, slaves were transported from West Africa to America through Badagry. It is reported that Badagry exported no fewer than 550,000 African slaves to America during the period of the American Independence in l787.
As usual Ghana is leading the way while Nigeria is still looking for the way...
6 comments:
"As usual Ghana is leading the way while Nigeria is still looking for the way..."
We'll find the way when we are ready and serious :-)
I think we are getting ahead of ourselves here in trying to keep up with the Joneses.
Ghana has created the atmosphere and society in which those in Diaspora have found it comfortable to return and live - Stevie Wonder has been out there for ages already.
Infrastructure and security are core to this matter, like I have been to Badagry and found that those historical places were hardly of any standard to show to indigenous tourists talk less of foreign ones.
Then where Nigerians are not all that keen to live in cannot suddenly become the hotspot for others to go to.
Whereas, I have seen high-flying and very successful Ghanians return home without blinking, all quite optimistic about what they are going to do.
To crown it all, Ghana was once the Gold Coast and Nigeria was really the Slave Coast and who is paying to most attention to this matter?
I am seriously considering becoming a Ghanaian, seriously!...
mba5 (formerly known as Ababoy)
My previous visits to Ghana has endeared the place to my mind. If Nigeria doesn't know where it should belong, please let someone else take the lead. I found these sometime ago:
http://africandiaspora2005.tripod.com/id1.html
http://www.modernghana.com/GhanaHome/export.asp?which=1&id=VFZSSk5VMTZVVDA9&print=screen&link=&rss=
"As usual Ghana is leading the way while Nigeria is still looking for the way..."
truer words were never spoken.. (well maybe thats an exaggeration but still). Nigerians TALK.. Ghanians DO!
I would like to know what our brothers in the greater Diaspora think of this idea. The provision of great and enabling environment is just not enough reason for blacks in America, Europe and elsewhere to want to come 'home'. Are the natives ready to accommodate their cousins?
Are our cousins ready to make the necessary sacrifice and life-style adjustments that this transition require?
The fact that some black celebrities have made inroads into Ghana is encouraging, but shouldn't be seen as an indication that all is well.
Anchoring this laudable project on some biblical themes has successfully alienated some blacks already, I think.
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