The news came in like a bombshell. Not because it was news as such, but because it was broken by a prized Nobel laureate, who by all understanding, has long tendered an apology in the aftermath of an avalanche of protests. The claim that Africans are less intelligent than their white counterparts elsewhere in other continents has been making the round all over the world since several years.

As recently as June 16^th, 2006, the Wall Street Journal Online carried a major story on the result of a study of the brain in human genetics by one Bruce Lahn, a Professor at the University of Chicago, who “stood before a packed lecture hall and reported the results of a new DNA analysis: He had found signs of recent (progressive) evolution in the brains of some people…” but not in the brains of Africans. It was a groundbreaking and sensational finding. Because he touched a raw nerve in the scientific study of race and intelligence however, the matter was quickly laid to rest in the midst of stormy controversy. When the issue was freshly unpacked on October 17^th, 2007 however, none less than the 1962 co-winner of the Nobel Prize for medicine James Watson became the focus of attention. James Watson was quoted in the online scientific journal ‘The Independent’ as saying "All our social policies are based on the fact that their (black people’s) intelligence is the same as ours - whereas all the testing says not really". The 79-year old scientist was seeking to muffle any heightened expectation of quick development in the African continent, in a manner that bears all the hallmark of malice and outright contempt.

No doubt, every African will be quick to agree that the ageing Watson may surely have personal problems of a mental nature to cope with before giving any credibility whatsoever, to his conviction on the intelligence of another race. No matter the underlying empirical scientific facts and data in the study of racial intelligence, there is always a huge number of equally talented and well-read scientists that will unearth and explain the inherent flaws in the results of such studies. In other words, the battle of wits in the scientific wrestling ring in judging the intelligence of the black race will rage on for years and decades to come.

Given the heightened level of assertive and confident postures emerging from the black continent in the past few years however, hardly anyone can be left in doubt that the African citizen would be the last entity on earth to settle for flattery in matters affecting his own development. The extremist nature of such characterization of the intelligence of the black man may not be in doubt but there is hardly any doubt as to facts on the ground fanning the flames of such fundamentalist assertions.

The African is very much aware that his continent, riddled with a widely accepted belief in the power of corruption, has symbolized an unprecedented spot of developmental darkness in the history of humanity. No African of intellectual substance will deceive himself into believing that our continent has been successfully converted into an exemplary paradise since the wave of independence that swept the continent since the run-up to the sixties. The African knows however, that his continent has always stopped short of one major political item on its path to development: collective leadership.

When the late Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana in the wake of independence struggle spearheaded the ideology of Pan-Africanism, there were reasons enough to believe that Ghana would take charge of political leadership in Africa. In the course of time however, Ghana lost control of its own destiny by simply failing to take sufficient advantage of its vast resources in gold, diamond, timber, cocoa and manganese, which make up the mainstay of its export-based economy and has today, ended up being hugely reliant on international financial and technical assistance. In other words, Ghana failed to back up political wisdom harnessed by Kwame Nkrumah, with sound economic power and left a vacuum for the rest of the continent.

Jomo Kenyatta followed Kwame Nkrumah’s footstep in ideology and political coherence. The dream was however killed in what turned out to be a continental political malaise called Power intoxication and corruption. Added to the absence of financial strength to match, Kenya simply became a non-starter as far as the leadership of Africa is concerned. Leopold Sedar Senghor suffered the same fate with his wealth of wisdom in the tiny Senegal.

While the vacuum persisted, lives were wasting in the midst of wars and self-imposed misery. The Republic of South Africa at the southern coast was in the grip of preachers of hate and racial segregation. A fraction of the land was comparatively well developed for the minority white settlers amid a reign of fear, blood and terror visited on the black majority that was regarded as a divine product of mental inferiority. The sustenance of the technological edge in South Africa over other counterparts in the African continent is today praised as an unexpected achievement of the ANC government which did not simply turn the table against the white predecessor in advancing the policy of hate, blood and terror. In other words, taking over government from where the racist whites stopped and building up on the segregated development policy of the evil predecessors, now cladded in a policy of even distribution has been a challenge that the ANC has successfully coped with till the present day.

The real challenge facing the African continent however, has been the emergence of a homebred leader. An African state built up by Africans in affluence and welfare, with the sweat and know-how of indigenous Africans as a shining example of leadership for others to emulate and without the predicate “white-enhanced”.

Nigeria was seen as a rising star in the days of Yakubu Gowon. Its population was not only strongest in terms of human resources that are crucial to developmental engagement, she was also blessed with vital natural resources that the entire world could not do without. Development policies launched by General Yakubu Gowon gave hope to every aspiring Nigerian. Education was indeed, a source of inspiration, hope and a fast track to individual contribution to national growth. It was thus no surprise that Nigeria soon gained the title “Giant of Africa” while Yakubu Gowon’s ominous proclamation “Money is not our problem but how to spend it” made the round.

Which African intellectual of substance will consider blaming Prof. Bruce Lahn or Prof. James Watson for claiming that Africans are scientifically proven to be less intelligent than whites, when the journey of our so-called “Giant of Africa” till the present day has offered nothing but profound peril?

Who will blame an ageing white man for a reckless comment when no single African country has come halfway close to the development of Malaysia in spite of independence within the same period? Malaysia gained independence from the British on August 31^st, 1957 and Ghana on March 6^th, 1957. Today, both countries are miles apart in terms of development.

Will James Watson be held responsible for the growth of a popularly accepted mentality of corruption in the “Giant of Africa”? The damage done to the development of Nigeria by successive military regimes as is symptomatic of several other African states is by no means, attributable to the geriatric deterioration of a scientific philosopher.

A country consistently ruled by indigenous blacks in possession of a vast wealth in prized natural resources, which ends up stacking up private wealth in Swiss banks and no developmental achievement to account for can hardly be attributed to the comments of an ageing scientist.

Recently I read a private comment accurately highlighting the fact that given the Nigerian constitution, the United States of America would surprisingly show Nigerians how effectively and sound the product can work for a democratic experiment. Given the American constitution however, it would take Nigeria not less than a single legislative period to uncover the recipe for civil war inherent in the American constitution. Is it a matter of will, education, consciousness or truly intellectual inferiority?

Definitely, no one can blame a white Professor, when Nigeria is not even able to settle the constitutional hierarchical order between a President and a Vice President. Who will blame a white Professor when a leader is selectively crucified on daily basis for his failures and perceived cruelties while his achievements are conveniently ignored and blatantly denied?

Who will blame a foreign Professor when the leader of a legislative chamber appropriates a huge sum of money for meaningless renovation and willingly chooses to fight harakiri? Who will blame a white professor when, on the other hand, lawmakers exchange punches rather than accept defeat in the hands of the majority no matter how wrong the position of the majority may be? Punches are also exchanged in the parliaments of Taiwan and elsewhere but none of such countries matches the pathetic level of affluence that Nigeria has.

Are Nigerians not truly displaying hallmarks of intellectual inferiority by failing to unite forces in the fight for development rather than fighting so vociferously against perceived wrong ideologies at the wrong time?

The strongest pace of development with which Nigeria has outdone every other country in the world today, has been recorded in the booming crime sector. With a dose of sophistication that has never been realized even in Detroit, Nigerians execute crime with every form of savagery, cold-bloodedness and meticulousness. Outplaying Nigeria in this self-imposed competition of savagery, South Africa even greeted Prof. Watson’s insults with the cold murder of Lucky Dube in broad daylight. Mental superiority indeed!

Another booming industry in Nigeria today is religious exploitation. I once heard someone remark that Africans (represented by Nigerians) are far ahead of the whites in spiritual development. Charlatan Pastors and churches grow numerically in Nigeria today faster than does the production industry for consumer goods. Pastoral schools (accredited or not) are not lacking in numbers to issue legitimating certificates to mushroom pastors who build up churches for self-employed investments. All it takes is the power of oration. Unable to proceed with the more expensive financial prerequisite of fetish devotion, the poor common man surrenders the little he has to the church in which he seeks divine refuge. Many charlatan Pastors make their living comfortably and some are even lucky to become millionaires! Simply praise the Lord for them! Mental superiority indeed!

Claims are advanced, of missionaries preceding colonialists in the exploitation of Africa. Cynical illustration pictures the gun held beneath the bible to the surprise of the unsuspecting African peasant. Every serious African intellectual of substance is aware however, that the historical exploitation of Africa by white supremacists added to neo-colonialism on the economic and financial front are simply one side of the coin. A side of the coin to which countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, etc. were all equally exposed like African countries. The other half of the coin giving them a leeway to their own achievements was enough to see these countries through. Where would many African countries have been today with less of the Bokassas, the Amins, the Sekos, the Abachas, Mugabes etc. and more of the Rawlings, the Murtalas, the Gowons, the Mbekis and half the dose of the Obasanjos minus credibly perceived evils?

There will no doubt, be unanimity in buying into the claims that soul-searching on the part of Africans will objectively stop at the port of scrutinizing the wisdom of armed insurgency in the Niger delta with wanton criminal intent. This can hardly be denied as part of such elements reinforcing the belief in the folly of the black African.

I am at no loss emphasizing that no African will hold any white scientist responsible for Nigeria’s inability to come to grips with its own destiny. Professors and self-imposed sages will appear from several quarters in years to come to make the world believe how mentally inferior the black man is. Biology and genetics know too well however, that there is no difference whatsoever, in the internal and external composition of a black skinned human and the white-skinned counterpart save the color of their skins. The choice of greed over wisdom, failure to understand that political advancement requires mutual accommodation and not a fight-to-finish as currently exemplified by the Nigerian House of Representatives and also in the Atiku-Obasanjo experiment are just a few examples of the problem of the African.

With a healthy dose of self-criticism and productive analysis, Africa as exemplified by Nigeria has surely staggered onto the right path crawling at the pace of a snail and I am convinced that the table will turn in decades to come. If this however, finally happens in generations beyond ours, the world should be rest assured that the Watsons and Bruce Lahns of today, will then definitely be Africans stressing the mental inferiority of the white man. Today, the African is down and no one can be blamed in earnest for riding on him in his self-imposed prostration! 

Robot  Villager

# 1 The news came in like a bombshell. Not because it was news as such, but because it was broken by ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 25.10.2007 17:55

planet1899  Villager

# 2 Please leave Nigeria out of this. It does not represent the black race. This is a generalization by the White old man on blacks in the world how does Nigeria come to play in this? I beg to differ. Planet1899 Posted by planet1899| 25.10.2007 18:49

abdulmumin  Villager

# 3 1 out of 4 or is 1 out of 5 blacks is a Nigerian. In statistics, 25% or 20% is considered a very significant sample size and it is expected that the result obtained from such a sample should effectively represent the characteristics of the entire populace. That is why the future or development of the black man cannot be done in isolation of nigeria. A well run Project Nigeria would even change the way we blacks perceive of ourself not to talk of caucasians. The development of the black man and Nigeria cannot be separated. Posted by abdulmumin| 25.10.2007 19:06

Kay Soyemi (Esq.)  Villager

# 4 =abdulmumin;2091813304>1 out of 4 or is 1 out of 5 blacks is a Nigerian. In statistics, 25% or 20% is considered a very significant sample size and it is expected that the result obtained from such a sample should effectively represent the characteristics of the entire populace. That is why the future or development of the black man cannot be done in isolation of nigeria. A well run Project Nigeria would even change the way we blacks perceive of ourself not to talk of caucasians. The development of the black man and Nigeria cannot be separated. Abdulmumin, Three gbosas for you! May your first born never look like your landlord for those comments! Asé I go send you one keg of palmwine as soon as I fit get credit from the tapper. Regards Posted by Kay Soyemi (Esq.)| 25.10.2007 21:35

JAGA-JAGA  Villager

# 5 The black man's burden would vanish whenever Nigeria's numerous developmental problems are addressed, period. Posted by JAGA-JAGA| 26.10.2007 01:12

Obi  Villager

# 6 Every five--ten years or so, the white academia throws up this IQ argument. If I could recollect the last time was from Dr. Charles Murray in a book "The Bell curve". Therein he made similar theories propounding the Africans' low IQ. But one thing they 've been unable to dispute is the input of environment, economy and culture visàvis IQ. For a Caucasian child resident in one of the ghettos of a Latin American city, would definitely record a low IQ than the one being raised in a non-similar environment. The output of a high IQ would be non existent in an environment of corruption, wars and ethnic representation. These factors are impediments to proper management and consistent development of any society. On the other hand, the presence of them does not have anything to do with IQ. Posted by Obi| 26.10.2007 03:09

fxo  Villager

# 7 =Obi;2091813409> The output of a high IQ would be non existent in an environment of corruption, wars and ethnic representation. These factors are impediments to proper management and consistent development of any society. On the other hand, the presence of them does not have anything to do with IQ. And this environment or factors were created by who? Posted by fxo| 26.10.2007 04:23

tanibaba  Villager

# 8 This is a well written and properly researched piece of art. I am impressed and with just a thousand like you being Africans or Nigerians, the answer to your poser is : YOU ARE WRONG. It is just that it is the empty and mischievous noise makers, like somebody i know in this square that have greater access to media and will spare no effort to launder their dirty image. However, one considers the fact that herds hail such people, then one may want to agree with you. So it is neither here nor there. I am delighted to have read your piece and particularly happy that it is from a Nigerian. taslim Posted by tanibaba| 26.10.2007 05:02

Enforcer  Villager

# 9 Intelligence in what? Who is measuring it? How is it being measured? Every human race have some advantages in certain things which make them more intelligent in that area than other races. There are certain things that hold the black race back....those things are culture and beliefs. Posted by Enforcer| 26.10.2007 05:18

fxo  Villager

# 10 =Enforcer;2091813442>Intelligence in what? Who is measuring it? How is it being measured? Every human race have some advantages in certain things which make them more intelligent in that area than other races. There are certain things that hold the black race back....those things are culture and beliefs. You asked Intelligence in what? Obvious isn't it Who is measuring it? Hungry Ethiopian and Somalian babies- Dieing Dafurians-Intelligent young girls in Funtua that are not in school-idle young men loafing in Kano-the family members of Lucky Dube-Empty pantries in Harare-HIV victims that are being discriminated against in Conventant University,Ota- homeless Lagosian living under the bridge and paying $5million to house the Speaker of the parliament How is it being measured? Does it actually matter if its 'yards arm or meter rule' Every human race have some advantages in certain things which make them more intelligent in that area than other races. I think I would be more comfortable if we have an advantage in feeding our people, educating our young ones, dealing with all men and women with absolute fairness and recognizing the sanctity of life and be more involved with solving the world's problems as opposed to being the number one complainer. There are certain things that hold the black race back....those things are culture and beliefs The black man's culture and belief or the Whiteman's? Posted by fxo| 26.10.2007 05:51

---

The conversation continues in our forum. Click here to read all comments

---