MODERN TRENDS AND ISSUES IN AFRICAN REVOLUTION: A NEW PERSPECTIVE IN AFRICAN POLITIC

Abstract

Vice Chancellor Sir, I give all glory and honour to the Almighty God, the source of wisdom for this privilege He has given me to deliver the 3rd Inaugural Lecture of this great University. I also like to thank the Vice Chancellor, Professor Dilli Dogo, with whose permission I stand here today before the distinguished audience. Mr Vice Chancellor Sir, the inaugural lecture of today is the first in the Faculty of Social Sciences and the first in the Department of Political Science and International Relations. However, strategic studies and African politics were made fascinating to me by Professor Aja Akpuru-Aja of Abia State University who supervised my Masters Degree Dissertation and Professor Mohammadu Wada of University of Abuja who supervised my Ph.D. Thesis. They encouraged me to study Africa political thought and philosophy, which stirred in me the passion to carry out an investigation on the new concept of African revolution. My years of research on this subject area motivated me to write a book titled “Issues in Africa Politics”. This book was published by Galda Verlag, Germany and are in many libraries in Europe, Asia and United States of America including German National Library Leipzig, Freie University, Berlin and Harvard University, USA to mention but a few. Moreover, this study on African Revolution has sharpened academic orientations to reveal that African revolution is more than a political struggle but an act of emancipation aimed at eliminating foreign domination of African politics and economy as well as a revolt against colonialism, neo-colonialism and the infiltration of Africa by neo-liberal ideologies. Therefore, African revolution is driven not particularly by Marxist ideologies but by the philosophies and political thoughts of Frantz Fanon; who was a French Afro-Caribbean psychiatrist, political philosopher and Amilcar Cabral; who was a revolutionary leader and theorist from Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. It is designed to correct the negative perceptions of revolution in Africa. African revolution has been misinterpreted by scholars in Europe, Asia and USA. Their deleterious insight of revolution in Africa has resulted in labelling African revolution as Arab Spring or coup d’état thereby limiting revolution as an estimable political act seen only in the political evolution of Western Europe and United States of America. When revolutions occur in Africa, its meaning and scope is limited to acts of terrorism or insurgence, therefore, this study attempts to conceptualize the basic issues in African revolution. I stand here today to present and share this research work that has received international attention and readership before my learned colleagues and distinguished audience. Mr Vice Chancellor Sir, I am deeply honoured and humbled by the presence of everyone and I treasure this privilege to deliver this inaugural lecture titled: Modern Trends and Issues in African Revolution: A New Perspective in African Politics.

Professor Chigozie ENWERE BS.c (Hons), M.Sc, Ph.D Professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies January 2025