You may be shocked by the title. I ask you not to get defensive and to read to the end. This piece is a cry from the heart, and a challenge to a certain idea of the “African diaspora”: the one that believes it stands above the so-called locals, that considers itself lucky to have been educated abroad, that keeps to itself, and that sometimes uses the word “diaspora” for commercial or political ends.
As a former member of the diaspora myself, I went through this awakening. That is why I share it.
Africa has its codes
We too often forget that Africa has its codes, customs and practices, and that it holds on to them. Shaped by Western models, we struggle to follow them. We present ourselves as the ones bringing opportunity, to the point of becoming lecturers.
“I am from the diaspora, the new conqueror of my own country, and I bring the solutions it needs.”
Nonsense. That is the ego speaking. After a quick reading of the continent’s problems, we forget something essential: it is not they who need us, but we who need them. Let that sentence sink in.
Breaking an old pattern
The colonial project imposed a way of thinking and living, and made sure its impact would last for generations. No surprise that many of us reproduce our parents’ pattern: for many Africans, success still means having lived a few years in the West.
Our intellectuals have too often been set against our artisans, farmers and traders. Yet that is our heritage. If we want our children to grow up proud, we must break the chain, starting with schools here that celebrate our diversity. There are remarkable ones.
What has changed since 2016
Ten years later, the relationship between Africa and its diaspora has become more concrete, and more equal. Diaspora remittances are now a major source of external finance: Nigeria alone received about $19.5 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank. Benin has opened a path to nationality for Afro-descendants. Returnees are creating companies, funds and jobs.
That makes my point more urgent, not less. The diaspora brings capital, skills and networks. It must also bring humility, patience and respect for those who stayed and built.
Growing up, studying, working and living in Africa is possible
Opportunities are multiplying on the continent, and the profile of the over-qualified expatriate is giving way to the competent, autonomous, entrepreneurial self-starter. If leaving is only about a diploma or seeing the world, there are other ways to do both without uprooting yourself.
It is enough to believe in Africa. It is enough to believe in us.
