Zik and the Loss of Pan-Africanism

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Do you know that the Nigerian project killed the dream and destiny of Nnamdi Azikiwe as a Pan-Africanist?

Zik started out as a pioneer and foremost  anti-colonial revolutionary in Africa. He initiated the wave of renaissance that swept across 20th century colonial Africa.

Do you know that Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana was influenced by the writings and anti-colonial activities of Zik in the then Gold Coast? 

The writings of Zik should be in the likes of Frantz Fanon, the Caribbean revolutionary, in Africa.

But no sooner had Nigeria gained independence than the activities of Zik began to wane as a Pan-Africanist. He was engulfed in the crisis and power struggle that herald the Nigerian project at independence.

The trio of Zik, Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello were busy struggling for power and control, while their counterparts in Africa were making name for themselves as African nationalists.

The clever British handed over power to the docile, conservative and hegemonic Bello, making him the most powerful of the three nationalists and enveloping the revolutionary and progressive attributes of the duo of Zik and Awo.

Not long after, the names of Nkrumah of Ghana and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania began to spread like wild fire throughout the continent as foremost African nationalists. 

Even future leaders like Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, Muammar Ghadafi of Libya and Nelson Mandela of South Africa would later take the center stage as renown Pan-Africanists. Young activists and martyrs like Steve Biko, too.

But the name of "Zik of Africa" is nowhere to be found when the annals of foremost Pan-Africanists are being chronicled in today's Africa.

A sad tale of the Nigerian project - an evil and unending project - a dream killer, to say the least.

Chike Nnamani is a writer and pan-Africanist