To rebuild our countries of origin

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Hi mumsnetter, in the wake of the riots and given how black people are treated globally: have you ever considered going back to our countries of origin and trying to rebuild them. It wouldn't be easy, but in the long run we would have a place to call home where we are not discriminated against (this is coming from a person of African descent burn in Europe).

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• Born Apologies for the typos (very emotional post)

Is that what you are planning to do. How are you going to do this?

Surely this would be impossible to achieve on an individual level. I have no idea how this could be achieved, if I am being completely honest.

Given the natural resources of the continent, if every single person of African descent decided do go back with the intent of bettering our countries utilising our skillset, we should be able to build a society where we feel comfortable living in and where we can enjoy the same standard of living we have been accustomed to in the western world.

It has to start with individuals though. That is why I am asking is that what you are planning to do? Or are you just musing aloud, because, of course this will never happen in reality. For one, where is everybody of African descent supposed to go too? Africa, as I am sure that you are aware, is made up of about 54 Countries. It would not even be a case of "going back" for how many hundreds of thousands of people, who have never even stepped foot in an African Country.

Do all African countries need “rebuilding”?

are there no countries of origin that can provide a decent lifestyle?

Those of us with Caribbean descent don't know our African country of origin.

I think there are probably a huge amount of people who would disagree that their country of origin needed rebuilding?

Mine is just fine thanks. Were you thinking of somewhere specific?

When talking about the diaspora of people of African descent, It is important to make some distinctions as we have people coming from different countries, with completely different cultures and each country has its history and a unique sociopolitical landscape. It makes more sense to rephrase the question: would you like to live in a predominantly black country (with no racism, although you may still have issues with classicism and so on)?

Re" rebuilding your country of origin"- I am also going to rephrase this sentence and ask you a question instead: would you implement some changes with regards to how your country of origin is run? In my case ( I am originally from Nigeria) I would.

I 'd like to get rid of the elitist political class that has been destroying my country of origin for decades, make it a more equal society and work on the enormous potential that Nigeria is and so on. I wouldn't obviously be able to do this on my own, and it would take decades to take the country to where it needs to be. However, it would be worthwhile for those who will come after me. They wouldn't necessarily "go back", but at least they would have an alternative.

Edited to say this has come up on active, so you may wish to disregard my input as I’m not a person of colour.

Would you be wary of the reception you would get? The people currently settled there may not appreciate someone arriving to impose their ideas on an existing culture, even if you would be making it better/restoring its former status/aiming to fulfil it’s potential.

I wouldn't really see it as imposing my views/ way of life. I can't see how working together for the greater good of a country would clash with the existing, dominant culture😀

I agree in principle, but my parents really resented people trying to reclaim the original culture of the place they lived, that had become very anglicised.
Taking meritocracy to a culture that depends on nepotism for example, feels like an obvious improvement, but it’s an imposition in a culture where you work to make connections. If I’ve been a reliable, consistent and valued neighbour, why shouldn’t I be rewarded with a job? Why are you giving it to Fred whose only been here two months even if his qualifications are better?!

I think its a fair question OP. Most black people have a place of origin, be that the Caribbean or Africa.

There's nothing wrong with trying to migrate back to these countries. I know personally my home country is very welcome to people returning , but like any migration, it takes careful planning.

On the other side of the coin, if you look at say white Africans and white Caribbeans, many of them are sticking it out, and I'm not talking about the wealthy ones with lots of land neither that are heavily invested in the country, lots of white people in South Africa who aren't wealthy but wont leave as its their home.

My point is I'm torn as my parents are black but have UK passports, my Grandparents were techncially British as the UK still owned my origin country. We have the right to call ourselves British and the minority of white Britons that wish to do us harm, should we stand and fight? Is it fair for our children to keep fighting ?

You do have to be careful with words that could seem patronisng like 'rebuilding', take Nigeria , as a fully independent state its only barely 60 years old. Its a very young country, and the UK , which has had fulll democracy since the 1800's ,

you say with Nigeria 'I 'd like to get rid of the elitist political class that has been destroying my country of origin for decades, make it a more equal society '

Well this hasn't been achieved in the UK , so perhaps we should be less critical.

The focus should be on reducing poverty.

I think migrating to country of origin with a view of 'saving it' is a very bad idea, but starting a new life certainly isn't.

Of course this can work, as a POC from another region of the world I can tell you that we have rebuilt our town back home. It is amazing now and many of us go there for holidays. I don't know if we will collectively go back as the UK is our home but this is something people consider from time to time.

I think my country of origin needs improving, but not rebuilding.

I currently contribute by sending foreign exchange / sponsoring education of our youth. I have recently started planning on retiring there, as I still feel far more affiliation to there than here. It helps that my only child is also planning on getting through A Levels / maybe university then leaving the UK.

I know three other people my age who have started making preparations/building etc to return home.

It's ok to go with a mindset of wanting to enjoy the place on a holiday, even working there for short while to help a specific group of people will be welcomed with a smile but going there with a mindset of improving things generally will be looked down upon as fool hardy. The political elites in these countries don't have any plans for the average black person in their country, even the middle classes are being wiped out, so most of the population are looking for routes to migrate to a different continent even South America. Almost all African countries are in dire straits. Those honest enough will tell you things were better at independence or even during colonization. It's painful to admit this.
If you have any relationship with those back home, you'll see that even those you've not seen in 30yrs after the second greeting will ask for assistance with medical bills, schools fees, rent or routes to migrate. Those who get involved in politics are simply focused on amassing wealth for themselves and close associates. Businesses are struggling. However, being from the diaspora will open doors for you and the exchange rate will make things easy, but once you're fully dependent on earning in the local currency, you'll likely be thinking of making your way back.

Tribalism is a huge issue and hardly anything you can do about it. Even government official and government institutions are openly tribalistic.
A senator last week insulted a governor's wife for being childless. He was the National Labour Congress leader for yonks before he got compromised and joined the political elite.
I was born and grew up there. I've only just returned after spending a few months there and though I'm aware of many issues in the country and don't plan to move back there soon I realized I'd romanticized it even at that and was so happy to be leaving. Ofocurse I enjoyed the food, family and friends, parties and sunshine but that's it. Being waited on hand and foot. Life is more than than. ( I often felt uncomfortable with the extent to which several fellow humans were available to things one can do for one's self).
You want people to have a basic amount of human dignity, keep their word and not cheat you because they're desperate and there's minimal semblance of the rule of law etc.

Hopefully, the time will come, soon enough when things can begin to improve.

"You do have to be careful with words that could seem patronisng like 'rebuilding', take Nigeria , as a fully independent state its only barely 60 years old. Its a very young country, and the UK , which has had fulll democracy since the 1800's ,

you say with Nigeria 'I 'd like to get rid of the elitist political class that has been destroying my country of origin for decades, make it a more equal society '. "

Nigeria "gained" independence in 1960. It was made independent /given independence. It wasn't fought for. So it didn't have the destruction and calamity that are often the aftermath of such horrors. Unlike the different regions of the UK that fought several wars before and after it became a country.

Nigeria's independence was in 1960. where so many tried and tested forms of governance were available to choose from, infrastructure, technology, knowledge, resources, women's suffrage, international treaties etc were already in existence; compared to 1832. In other words. A 60yr old today can type and send a text message that will be received immediately in the otherside of the world while the the 60yrs old at 1892 would laugh at the suggestion of such a thing. In fact if he lived to that age, he didn't have the luxury of time to imagine such lofty thoughts.

This excuse of being a young country is one of the humorous excuses the current ruling party having been in power for the past 9 yrs, begun throwing around in the last 5 or so years when the economic calamity they brought on the country could no longer be denied. Everyone could see the direction they were taking the country.

Buhari when he first ruled in 1983 didn't throw such an excuse in people's faces but somehow in 2020 he and his party cronies realized the country was young?! Nor did Obasanjo in 1979 or again in 2000. Murtala Mohammed, Zik, Tafawa Balewa etc, presidents of decades ago didn't claim the country was still too young.

Singapore gained it's independence in 1963 and is doing far better than Nigeria which gained independence three years prior.

I know the ruling party has employed a lot of bots and so called influencers on social media to skew perception and confuse facts, but the truth can be unearthed if one analyses it a little.

Yes in recent years we have thought about the prospect of living in Nigeria though we were born here. Everyday I think about Nigeria even though I’ve only visited three times. The thought of being surrounding by so much natural resources and a climate where you can literally grow anything is exciting. Nigerians are like no other in terms of hospitality and generosity but corruption is rife and the people lack a nationalist spirit. I agree that the country needs a massive transformation top down, ground up. A revival in a sense.

You might find this video interesting:

If we had lots of money, I would buy land and create a beautiful community with beautiful houses and shops, libraries, centres etc - just like men of old in England did with their wealth. King Charles building of a new city, Poundbury is a fantastic example of what I would like to emulate in Nigeria but with a more African aesthetic - unlike the concrete jungle that is Lekki (eesh).

The mention of Singapore is a great example of how a leader can take his country and transform it to great heights. I’ve spoken to people from the UK and they consider Singapore as a place to relocate too. Lee Kwan Yew, the former leader had so much wisdom. He studied in the UK and like how the country was governed and built (back then) and decided to take inspiration and change his country for the better. There are great interviews and speeches he has given.

Oh and I forgot to mention the food, Nigerian food is too much - to eat it from the source would be delightful.

Honestly I think it’s going to take the diaspora to change Nigeria, because the governments in Nigeria are not doing enough to cultivate innovation, talent and prosperity of its people despite it being so rich in resources.