On Saturday 8th June 2024, i was listening to “Capital Gang”, Uganda’s most popular political radio talk-show and the host, Mr, Oscar Semweya Musoke posed a question to panellists; ‘Do we need to be reminded to love Uganda?’.
As part of the listening audience, i responded on X platform thus: “Should we be reminded to love Uganda? @SemweyaMusoke YES. There’s a danger for citizens to confuse their disgust for ruling class with country. Patriotic countries sing national Anthems every morning before school starts, we don’t & our leaders can’t sing it.” And added thus: “2ndly, it’s not the country that makes citizens proud, it’s citizens that make the country proud by loving, fighting & developing her. Dangote is a good case, he kept investing in dictatorial Nigeria when many thought it was a basket case. Both him & country are thriving today.”
It is very unfortunate that a good number of Ugandans speak ill of their country simply because they don’t like NRM government, others because it has potholes and poor medical facilities. They forget that Uganda cannot build hospitals and schools but them as citizens are the ones capable of doing that for Uganda.
What then is patriotism? Here are some definitions i have found online; “devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country, the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to a country or state, Special affection for one’s own country and or Special concern for the well-being of the country”
Mr, Dangote, the Nigerian businessman and industrialist espouses all the above definitions of patriotism. We should remember that he started out in business in 1977 and the Nigeria of that time was very unstable politically riddled with coups, assassinations and military dictatorships but that didn’t discourage him. He saw a better country ahead not bad leadership and hopelessness of the time. Forty years later, he has been exonerated, Nigeria is prosperous and himself, a very wealth man.
Around 2010, Dangote decided to construct a cement factory in Sierra Leon but his friends discouraged him citing political uncertainty in West Africa in general. His response was simply humbling; he informed them that if Africans fear to invest in Africa, then foreigners’ wont even dare bring their money. He went on to add that since the country suffered a devastating conflict, it needs a lot of cement for reconstruction. Just imagine the recklessness of his positive and progressive thought process; unwavering Pan-Africanism.
In last week interview, June 2024, Dangote emphasised the fact that Africa can and will industrialise and develop but Africans must believe in themselves and realise that its only them who can deliver on such a grand promise saying “If Africans are waiting for foreign investors to come and develop Africa, it will never happen.” Here, he sets the patriotic bar very high, leaving Africans with no other choice but to focus home and believe in themselves.
When Dangote sees Africa, he sees endless opportunities while most of us see disease, misery and poverty. While he pursues the opportunities he sees, we meanwhile resign and wait for Africa to rescue us instead of the reverse. He reminds me of President Kennedy who challenged his fellow Americans; “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,”.
What lessons should an African learn from him? First of all, we learn that Nigeria didn’t become prosperous simply because she has become a democracy, but that patriotic citizens like himself focused on economic development during the worst of her times and made the country a business power house today as democracy slowly takes root as well.
The second most important lesson is that Africa has a lot economic potential waiting for Africans to exploit for their well-being. That even with glaring risks, Africa is the place for Africans to invest, its the future of global trade. If Uganda was to build a city like New York, we would need tons of cement and steel that our current producers can’t handle, and there lies a manufacturing opportunity.
That perseverance is important, the man has been in business since 1977, that is over 45 years working non-stop. It is therefore no surprise that he is the richest Blackman in the world. Dangote is a living example of the proverbial phrase “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. When Nigeria threw lemons at them (dictatorship, coups, instability), others run but he picked a blender and made lemon juice out that chaos.
Lastly, East, West, Home is Best, it is a beautiful experience to be rich in your own home. Dangote would not be the richest black man in the world if he had invested in Europe, China, Russia or America. Bahororo say; “Empitsi yowanyu, ekuryanekurundarunda”. A hyena that knows you eats you with some respect. Africa may eat you but with a lot of respect. Anywhere else, you are devoured mercilessly.
The writer is a Communications Officer at the Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC) and a member of the Campfire Ideological Study Group.
