Nweke Seeks Dismantling of Historical Narratives Imposed on Africa

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The need for Africa to dismantle the historical narratives imposed on the continent by the Western world has been emphasised by a Nigerian scholar, Mr Ogochukwu Chidiebere Nweke.

Speaking at an annual lecture to honour the legacy of Zik of Africa in Accra, Ghana, Mr Nweke challenged African youth to reclaim their heritage.

At the event, he addressed the long-standing distortions in African history, referencing the well-known proverb that “until the lion learns to write, every tale will glorify the hunter.”

The lecture critiqued five centuries of Eurocentric historical framing that treated Africa as a passive object rather than an active subject of its own destiny.

To counter these narratives, Mr Nweke highlighted pre-colonial African achievements, including the immense wealth of the ancient Mali Empire, the architectural brilliance of Great Zimbabwe, the advanced academic manuscripts of Timbuktu, and the mastery of the Benin Bronzes.

“I do not recite this history to make us nostalgic. Nostalgia is a poor foundation for a nation. I recite it because a people who do not know that they were once great will never dare to believe that they can be great again,” he stated at the event, which was held in the homeland of Kwame Nkrumah, serving as a symbolic backdrop for a message focused on unity, shared history, and the future of African self-determination.

He also used the occasion to highlight the deep and border-transcending relationship between Nigeria and Ghana.