Africa as a continent needs to be at the vanguard of the renaissance that will happen once this coronavirus crisis blows over

By Ayo Akinfe

(1) Today is supposed to be Mother’s Day. Let us use it as an opportunity to reflect, especially as the world is reeling from a global pandemic that will have dire economic consequences

(2) With the ongoing shutdowns, economic collapse and massive slowdown in global production, millions of people will soon be jobless worldwide. We are looking at another slump similar to the Great Depression

(3) I dread to think of what the figures will look like but I will not be surprised if the global economy contracts by as much as 20% this year. Whole sectors such as tourism, travel, aviation, entertainment, hospitality, etc have been totally decimated by worldwide shutdowns

(4) However, given the resilience of man, we will bounce back. What we are witnessing now is nowhere near as bad as the devastation Europe witnessed during World War Two but alas, she bounced back. The German economic miracle in particular was breathtaking. Within five years, German economic output had surpassed pre-war levels

(5) Whenever there is a renaissance after a depression, countries always position themselves to benefit from it. After World War Two for instance, countries like Argentina and Australia snapped up some of Germany’s best brains and got their economies going

(6) Also, after it was created in 1948, Israel snapped up some of World War Two’s finest pilots. Had they not, Israel would never have been able to fight off her Arab neighbours

(7) Historically, Africa has always been asleep during revivals. This time around, we simply cannot make that mistake. In countries like China and Italy where coronavirus is devastating, we should be looking at some of their finest brains, industrialists and investors. Let us offer them Nigerian citizenship and land. We can provide them with a coronavirus-free environment where they can thrive

(8) In this picture is the Angkor Wat, a Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia. It is the largest religious monument in the world, on a site measuring 162.6 hectares. When you look at similar stone monuments, temples, cathedrals, etc built by the ancient Mayars, Incas, Egyptians, Khmers, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Hindus, etc, do you not ask yourselves where Africans were during this period

(9) Sub-Saharan Africa did not have one stone temple, so is it not right that the rest of the world should regard us as primitive savages barely better than apes? How do a people building temples that are 50 feet high over two square kilometres regard those building mud huts as equals? Racism will always thrive with such huge discrepancies because it is simply impossible for people manufacturing steam engines to regard those wearing loincloths as equals

(10) This time around, we need to get it right. I look forward to Africa rising from the coronavirus ashes and going for like 20% economic growth over the next decade. This is a chance in a lifetime that may not come our way again soon