 How can so-called African leaders divert millions of dollars meant for infrastructure development in their respective countries, transfer the funds to a private Swiss account so they cannot be traced, or even store it in a room in their personal mansion, yet Africans continue to blame the West for the continent's continued state of underdevelopment? Again, how can African politicians, in addition to stealing from public finances, steal financial aid sent from other nations or even steal from loans borrowed from financial institutions while continuing to blame the West for the misery of the African people? But this is not even the height of it. Think about the fact that some African leaders would decide to hold the reins of power for more than two or three decades and show no sign of stepping down, even when they know that they are no longer capable of ruling the country because of their help. The painful part of this situation is that throughout the years in power, the country experienced no change in terms of development. Lots of people would still be living below the poverty line, the unemployment rate would be high, there would be no electricity, and the corruption rate would be high. Does this have anything to do with the West? Africans complain about France exploiting the resources, but who open the doors for them if not greedy and selfish African leaders who, in exchange for protection and a cut in the revenue generated by the resources? We continue to blame the West, yet our educational system is so outdated and there is no room for innovation, so is it a wonder that there is a high rate of unemployment across Africa? Even that young boy or girl who has an innovative idea is simply applauded and if the reward is to be given, the government would end up sending them outside the country for further education. At the end of the day, these smart brains would never come back to their country because they are much appreciated abroad. Think about the fact that the minimum wage of some African countries is not even up to half of the minimum wage of developed countries, but the salaries and ridiculous allowances of the politicians in the same African countries are double that of those in developed countries, yet the West is still to blame. Scientists complain that the West has continued to plunder their abundant resources and that's very true, but the big question is over the years that we have had these resources, what have we done with them? We can't even process these resources into products that can be sold on the international market. We continue to expect the West to help us process our crude oil and sell it back to us after it has been refined, which doesn't even make any sense. Why can't we have our own companies that produce industrialized goods? Why do we have to continue to depend on the West to produce goods that were made from our abundant resources? Even when some Africans decide to be innovative and create African-made goods, these goods can compete in the international market because somehow a large number of Africans prefer Western-made goods, and yet we blame and curse them for Africa's underdeveloped state. What an irony. We are our own problem, not the West, and it is high time we stop the blame game and looked inward. Let's take a look at trade among African countries. Did you know that it is more difficult and expensive to move goods from East Africa to West Africa than to take them from China to West Africa? How can traveling to another African country as an African be more difficult than traveling outside the continent? Yet it is, and Africans still wonder why trade across the continent is slow. If we don't work together, we won't achieve much. Yes, the West is neocolonialist and imperialist. It is obvious that the Western world continues to undertake purposeful and deliberate measures to increase Africa's isolation in the global economy. It is true that, rather than assisting Africa in recovering from the negative effects of colonial dominance, they have sought to alienate Africa in terms of progress by prescribing incorrect experimental economic ideas that have been made a requirement for aid. They still try to meddle in and influence the politics of Africa to serve their interests, but the truth is, we are the ones who gave them the chance. If that were not true, think about South Korea and Singapore. These countries are currently known as the East Asian Tigers, but guess what? They were former colonies of Japan, just like Africa, but today African countries can't even compete with them. Think about China. Just a few decades ago, China was nothing to write home about. In fact, the country was in isolation, but from the 1970s, when most African countries had gained independence, things began to change, and today China has grown to be among the upcoming superpowers that are a threat to the USA. Surprisingly, at the time when many African countries like Ghana and Egypt gained independence, they had a higher per capita income than China, India, or Singapore. But where are we now? And where are they now? Africa has been independent for more than 50 years, but what have we to show for it? Nothing but poverty, instability, unemployment, a high standard of living, and corruption. China is currently running out of labor, moving production houses out of China because of the one-child policy that was implemented years ago. Who is going to be the next factory in the world? Would it be Africa? Unsurprisingly, we have all it takes to be the factory of the world and stay in that position forever because we have natural resources and human resources, but sadly, in this current state, we are not ready. We have low infrastructure, most African countries are suffering from brain drain because lots of Africans are leaving their countries, seeking greener pastures outside, and we have bad leadership. Bad leadership is, in truth, the root cause of Africa's problems. This problem is felt at even the lowest level of leadership in Africa. Most of the leaders are greedy and selfish people who are only looking out for their own interests. If only African countries could have leaders who run their countries for the benefit of every single individual. If only Africans could have leaders who can't sleep because some people cannot eat or find medicine. If only we could have a thousand Thomas Sankaras who refused to have an air conditioner in his office because there are lots of citizens who don't even have fans in their homes. If only we could have enlightened and dedicated leaders, only then will Africa be great. So, this mentality of victimhood that Africa has carried for so long should be changed. Let us stop promoting the idea that African countries are powerless victims of the machinations of former colonial powers. The continuous blaming of colonialism for all of Africa's problems blocks creative thinking, fresh ideas and solutions to the continent's seemingly insurmountable development problem. It also means that African leaders and governments can avoid fulfilling their obligations to voters. There is no dignity in victimhood. And unless African countries get out of victimhood mode in 100 years, Africa will still be stuck in poverty and will continue to blame colonialism on the West. Africa belongs to Africans and it is Africans who will determine what the continent will be, not the West. If China can grow in just a few decades to become a superpower, so can Africa. So, while it is great that today Africans have come to the realization that we do not need the West and we can stand against it, let us not forget that we need to look inward and change what needs to be changed. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comment section down below and don't forget to subscribe, like and share this video.