Nigeria, South Africa’s poor performance hurts the black race

Last week, American technology company Apple Inc. became the first company to reach a market capitalization of $ 3 trillion. Apple reached this milestone when the share price hit $ 182.86. Although Apple’s stock price fell to $ 182.01 later that day, missing the trading day at $ 3 trillion, this symbolic milestone sends a global message. Recall that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died of pancreatic cancer in 2011. Obviously, his exit didn’t affect Apple’s growth. Apple has developed a life of its own.

With gross domestic products of $ 432.3 billion in Nigeria, $ 363.1 billion in Egypt and $ 301.9 billion in South Africa, Apple has a market capitalization that is nearly 300 percent higher than that of these three leading African countries . Apple’s market capitalization is almost seven times the GDP of Nigeria. It’s not a country that is talked about, but a company founded by three men: Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.

It’s true that nominal gross domestic product doesn’t really show how rich a country’s citizens are, but it does give an idea of ​​the volume of financial transactions that take place within a country. The more productive a country is, the more its GDP usually increases. This may not necessarily be the case, but GDP is a way of measuring countries financially.

The reason these three African countries performed poorly is because there was no inspiring leadership, stability, and productivity to fuel attractive growth. The lack of respectful images of Africa and the black race is because there is no country in Africa and the Caribbean that has grown in size and become a country that Africans and blacks around the world can brag about. Imagine if Nigeria were doing well in West Africa, South Africa in southern Africa, and Egypt in North Africa.

The way other countries reacted to African countries with border bans late last year when the Omicron strain of COVID-19 was discovered showed Africa’s weakness as a continent. If the Omicron virus had become known in Europe, North America, Oceania or Asia, other continents would not have reacted in the same way.

Once upon a time, Asian countries faced the kinds of challenges Africa faces today. The countries of Asia were synonymous with poor leadership, poverty and backwardness. Asians were despised. While watching the Ip Man film series, which recreates the life and times of the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee’s teacher, one could lament the 1960s Chinese for the way Americans looked down on them and treated them abysmally. At that time, only Japan in Asia could technically compete with the West. Although Israel is in Asia, it is not considered a typical Asian country as the majority of its citizens were returnees from Europe.

Then came the four Asian tigers: South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. They owe their name to the rapid industrialization and the constant and exceptionally high growth rates of more than 7 percent annually that they recorded between the early 1960s and 1990s.

At the turn of the 21st century, China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Qatar performed strongly. Due to its size and technological achievements, China in particular has changed its image and has become the pride of Asia. India also did well. Working wonders in the desert, the UAE has become a destination that tourists would look forward to more than most European and North American countries.

Today, Asia has four countries in the top 10 in the ranking of countries in the world by nominal GDP: China, Japan, India and South Korea. Europe also has four: Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy. North America has two: United States and Canada.

As a result, the image of Asian citizens around the world has changed. The respect shown to Asians around the world has increased. Asians are no longer perpetual beggars and guardians of poverty, disease and war. The few and specific countries in Asia that are known for this are singled out and named instead of giving Asians a blanket negative image.

This is the disservice that the underperformance of Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt does to Africa. Nigeria and South Africa do the same disservice to all black races around the world. The world still sees Africa as one country, because no country has so differentiated itself through extraordinary achievements as the Asian countries. African countries are still viewed as synonymous with instability, poor leadership, poverty and disease. They are seen as people who need help, need help, and need supervision all the time. In 2021, for example, there were coups d’état in four African countries: Chad, Mali, Guinea and Sudan. There is still some form of conflict in different countries including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia, Chad, Cameroon, etc.

Africa’s dire situation rises its head above the vaccines and test kits used for COVID-19. African countries depend on materials donated by other countries. In line with the world’s self-preservation mentality, donor countries must first take care of their citizens before donating to Africa and any part of the world in need of COVID-19 support.

Unsurprisingly, many of the materials donor countries sent to some countries expired shortly after they reached their destinations. Had African countries built the necessary capacities, this would not have been the case. Some countries like Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt should actually donate vaccines to other countries in the world. Such gestures draw respect.

If Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt had lived up to expectations, their success stories would not only have strengthened the pride of Africans and blacks around the world, but also made other African and black countries emancipate themselves from mediocrity and seek greatness. Success is contagious and failure is also contagious.

Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt should know that because of their size and strategic position in Africa, they have a great deal of responsibility beyond their borders. This should always be kept in their mind to shape the thoughts that guide their actions and omissions. Your individual success or failure will have an impact on countries and citizens of Africa and black heritage around the world.

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