'The Invention of Africa' - History Archives

Who Was Kenneth Onwuka Dike? Remembering the Father of Modern African Historiography

Afoma DikeDecember 17, 2022

For Kenneth Onwuka Dike, history was a tool not only useful for discovering the past but also for planning the future. Dike is recognized for countering the Western claim that Africa lacked history because African societies relied on oral tradition as opposed to written records.

December 2022Nigeria

Against Wildlife Republics Conservation and Imperialist Expansion in Africa

Aby L. SèneNovember 13, 2022

In 1972, pan-Africanist and Marxist thinker from Guyana, Walter Rodney, warned of ‘Wildlife Republics’, calling attention to wildlife conservation in Africa as a new form of imperialist and capitalist exploitation. Today, conservation is still a pretext to dispossess local communities for imperialist expansion and capitalist development.

Best of 2022NigeriaOctober/November 2022vol6-no3

Feiridiwanali ei Gumugubei Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Revolution

Kai MoraOctober 16, 2022

The important role Palacio played in placing Garifuna culture on the world stage was on par with the pan-African legacies of musicians such as Bob Marley and Fela Kuti.

BelizeBest of 2022October/November 2022

The End of Empire? Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II Has Died

Wale LawalSeptember 8, 2022

Twenty-five when she became queen, Queen Elizabeth II’s reign saw a declining, brutal British Empire and declarations of independence that have continued till date in former British colonies across Africa and the African diaspora. Read more.

August/September 2022NewsUnited Kingdom

The Inevitability of Bola Ahmed Tinubu The Unsurprising Candidacy of APC’s Presidential Nominee

Afolabi AdekaiyaojaAugust 30, 2022

Convincing Nigerians to ignore the controversies of his past, his wealth and his choice of running mate will be the crowning achievement of Tinubu’s career—not becoming president. Read more

August/September 2022Best of 2022NigeriaNigeria Decides 2023Nigeria Decides 2023: Candidatesvol6-no2

Abacha Returns (Again) Why the US is Returning $23 Million to Nigeria

Todah OpeyemiAugust 25, 2022

In recent years, the recovery of Abacha-related funds has been a recurrent fixture in successive administrations. With Nigeria’s present economic challenges, many Nigerians believe the recovered funds may help improve affairs. Read more.

August/September 2022NewsNigeria

One Last Dance? Atiku Abubakar, PDP’s North Star

Chukwuma Junior ChinyeAugust 25, 2022

The journeys of PDP and Atiku, its two-time presidential flagbearer, are as interwoven as they are similar. The 2023 election will likely be their ‘last dance’ together, this author writes. Atiku has no doubt reshaped PDP, but have the years shown a match made in Heaven or a pairing doomed to fail? Read more

August/September 2022Best of 2022NigeriaNigeria Decides 2023Nigeria Decides 2023: Candidatesvol6-no2

The ‘Son of a Nobody’ That Became President William Ruto Wins Kenya’s 2022 Presidential Election

Wemi MoyelaAugust 23, 2022

Kenya's deputy president, William Ruto, wins the 2022 presidential election amidst allegations of electoral malpractice and calls for annulment. Read more.

August/September 2022KenyaNews

Reframing Population Other Perspectives on Africa’s Population Growth

Yarri KamaraAugust 17, 2022

Discussion on Africa’s demography and population growth has often been handicapped by narrow and fragmented framing. But what if we reframed these discussions? Read more

August/September 2022Best of 2022

Does ‘Creative Crowdsourcing’ Exploit Creatives? NDLEA Faces Backlash Over Logo Design Contest

Todah OpeyemiAugust 16, 2022

Critics have called a design contest launched by NDLEA ‘exploitative’. The contest, where young artists compete by submitting free NDLEA logo suggestions, has received over 100 submissions, but a spokesperson for the organization has announced that it will not be revising its approach. Read more.

August/September 2022NewsNigeria