social and human sciences review مجلة العلوم الاجتماعية والانسانية
Volume 23, Numéro 2, Pages 493-504
2022-12-31

Edward Wilmot Blyden And The African Problem: Case Study Of Africa Of The Twenty-first Century

Authors : Bouchemal Ahmed . Senouci Faiza .

Abstract

Though many African nations gained independence, peoples of these regions are still struggling for survival. As succeeding governments promised a change in the economic and social conditions of the people, the situation did not offer much change as former colonial rulers run the economies and education systems. Many observers attributed present situation not only to ill governance and corruption but also to neo-colonial tactics of control and subjugation. Edward Wilmot Blyden’s prognostications of the African problem reflected current state of affairs as he was ahead of his time and expected a worst-case scenario for Africa. For Blyden, Africa had been involved in a protracted battle for existence where colonialism undermined the very sense of people's needs. He envisioned a future of socio-economic and educational excellence for Africans in case they understood these problems and their retarding effects on their progress. This article tries to contextualize Blyden’s broader ideas and intellect within twenty-first century Africa as to reveal the failure of peoples and governments to make a change to their situation and remained baffled toward a real and concrete realization of development and progress.

Keywords

Blyden; problems; former colonial rulers; education; development; corruption; twenty-first century Africa