God forbid a Pan-Africa. Pan-Africanism is the belief that all Africans, both on the continent and in the diaspora, are united in solidarity and have shared history, goals, and destiny.

And that movement and ideology is one of the reasons Africa is failing to live up to its full potential: Africa as a continent will be able to move a few steps forward once we stop applauding Pan-Africanism and its non-works.

Pan-Africanism as a concept birthed from colonialism—or, rather, as an after-effect of colonialism. Pan-Africanism was a crutch to give Africans an identity after colonial rule. Africa giving its fragmented self clothes to cover its naked body. But the clothes are thin, worn-out, with holes and patches. Pan-Africanism is not sustainable as an identity for the continent. It is a coping mechanism. A reaction to what happened to Africa after Europe. The belief gives comfort and hope. It is beautiful on paper but unworkable in practice.

The Pan-Africanist idea did not even originate in Africa. It is a concept that was invented outside the continent. All its pioneers are part of the diaspora. The ideology was shaped outside the continent and imposed on a continent that already had its own organic systems of cooperation. The first Pan-African congresses were held in London, Paris, New York—not Africa. The first time Pan-Africanism actually landed on African soil was 1958 in Accra, Ghana—and even then it was Kwame Nkrumah (who was educated in the US and UK) importing it back. It is foreigners giving you the brief on ‘who you are’ and calling it your idea.

The Pan-African flag is also referred to as the Afro-American flag. Is Pan-Africanism an ideology for the diaspora?

Pan-Africanism argues that Africa has a shared history, that shared history being colonial rule and influence. That is true, but that is also the only shared history the whole of Africa actually has—and even then, in different forms and different periods. Africa has distinct cultures, histories, and stories all on the same continent. If the only shared event and trauma we have is colonialism, then do we have a shared history at all?

Pan-Africanism’s problem is that it treats Africa like Europe. It thinks Africa can follow the same path and structure that Europe has. Europe is tiny. The countries in that continent have interacted with each other for centuries. King Henry V could be King of England today and then King of France tomorrow. Inter-communal relationship is inevitable with such little land mass. But Africa is vast and huge. Western Africa might not have even known that Southern Africa existed.

A Pan-Africa means erasure. The dilution of 2000+ distinct tribes and cultures, all those rough edges into a smooth ball. One identity: ‘African.’

And ‘African’ says nothing about anybody. It preaches unity, but its own form of ‘unity’ demands the sacrifice of thousands of ancient, cultural, indigenous identities smoothed up into simply a geographic location. Africa. At that point, where does the continent end and countries begin?

Pan-Africanism fails to succeed on even a national level. Nigeria is a mini-Africa—500+ tribes and spoken languages. It is also a perfect example of how Pan-Africanism does not work.

Pan-Africanism was built for the diaspora and only works for the diaspora. It is easier for a black person abroad to simply call themselves African. But it is impossible for the same ideology to be imposed on Africa. The diaspora are free to take on the identity ‘African’, but 54 countries cannot reduce themselves to simply a geographical location for their sake.

Aside from the diaspora, the idea of one Africa is only useful to one other set of people: the foreigners. One Africa makes it easier for them to digest instead of working to understand dynamics in 54 different nations. You only have to address one thing and it covers 1.4 billion people living on the continent. The idea of Pan-Africanism does not unite Africa. It simply makes Africa legible and digestible to everybody else.

We have tried this Pan-Africa thing since 1958. Sixty-eight years. And we are still waiting.

Pan-Africanism does not work. Not because it is a bad idea, but because it was never our idea. It was imported. It was imposed. It erases who we actually are. Africa does not need to be one country. It needs to be one continent—where diversity is acknowledged, not erased.

So God forbid a Pan-Africa. To hell with Pan-Africanism. And a sorry, miserable, and excruciating death to the identity ‘African’!