While doing research on a British university I hope to attend next fall, I came across an article on the top African universities. Apparently, only two African universities, one in Egypt and the other in South Africa, made it to the Times Higher Education World Rankings list for 2011. The article goes on to suggest that African universities should focus on developing their respective communities, rather than devote vital resources to a somewhat futile cause.

The author lists many challenges that the African continent and by extension, African universities, face. The oft-recited list includes poverty, the history of colonialism and ethnic diversity. However while I have been a proponent of this view in the past (and still am at times), I worry that these challenges are becoming excuses. Yes, poverty and colonialism are problematic, but rather than continuing to lament over our situation we should begin to think of unique and effective solutions to our problems!

Furthermore, the article seems to imply that community development and international recognition (by virtue of rankings) are (and maybe even, should be ) at polar opposites of the African priority list. I’ll admit that rankings can be shallow, but I know I am not the only one who is tired of seeing Africa finish last. While I certainly agree that a focus on community development is essential, the situation seems to raise the question: what is the use of doing good if no one can see it? Clearly, the answer is complicated since the question itself raises several moral concerns. Nonetheless, I believe that in our modern world visibility is vital. High visibility of the work of African universities will quite likely attract much needed funding and talented scholars, both as professors and students. This would no doubt reverse the brain drain that the article so eloquently discusses. Most importantly, the increased physical and social capital will allow the universities to be even more effective in their endeavors to develop their respective countries and local communities.

The article also suggests that a focus on rankings will be a waste of resources. However, the methodology of the report seems to give the most weight to factors that should have minimal cost implications. (The categories teaching, research and citations make up ninety percent of the overall score.) In addition, these factors regardless of cost would certainly improve the quality of African education and overall effectiveness.

To suggest that international rankings are of little import, is to ignore the various cause and effect relationships. That being said, by no means do I suggest that African universities should begin to channel 100 percent of their resources into becoming number one on this and any other ranking list. I only desire to see more African universities receive the recognition that they deserve. Perhaps such positive publicity will be just what the continent needs…

Last week, voters from Southern Sudan turned out in great numbers to decide whether they should split from the mostly Muslim, Arab majority in the North. For the most part, this page of the story is old news. Major international media outlets have been talking about the vote for months and the referendum itself was stipulated by a 2005 peace agreement. Like most people, I am extremely pleased that the referendum and the drive for secession have been relatively successful and, most importantly, peaceful.

Although I celebrate freedom with the people of Southern Sudan, a part of me is still concerned. I wonder what this secession means for the state of affairs on the African continent. I am aware of the many civil conflicts that have existed in Sudan. From the twenty-year civil war to Darfur and the discovery of oil in Abyei, the problems are, indeed, numerous. Yet, despite the tensions in various parts of Sudan, I still can't help but wonder if secession is really the solution. I am worried about what this says about the African continent and the world community, in general. Does secession really solve the underlying issues? Does the animosity disappear once a group of people get autonomy of their own country? Will it all get better when an imaginary line demarks the Sudanese people as neighbors and no longer countrymen and women? Should we forget about the "global community" and separate back into our comfortable little units because we are all so different and often do not get along? In that case, watch out world, who is going to be next?

On one hand, I'll be the first person to tell you that the current boundaries and conception of nationhood, particularly in Africa, are a product of colonialism... a figment of Western imagination. In this regard, why not scrap all the borders and redesign them as we see fit? Yet, on the other hand, when I envision new borders I have always seen it as an act of unity. Perhaps, a way to reunite tribes and ethnic groups that were carelessly separated in the "Scramble. "

From another point of view, it is clear that the people of Southern Sudan are desperate for their independence. Preliminary results from the poll indicate that well over ninety percent of voters are in favor of the secession. Should my lofty dreams of a united Africa interfere with the right of self-determination? Probably not. Furthermore, with such a united front from the Southern Sudanese people, an interference with this dream almost come true would probably launch the country back into a civil war anyway.

So, what is the solution? Unfortunately, I do not know. I am unsure if anyone does. I only hope that time will gift us with what most of us ultimately desire... PEACE!


Best wishes to the people of Sudan.

For God is Love...1 John 4:7-21

You see them everywhere! From TWAs to huge Afros. Twists. Twist-outs. Coils. And even sometimes just a bit of hair poking out from under a protective style. The natural hair movement is in full swing. Some say it's a fad and others a way of life. Regardless of which camp is right, I am happy to see so many Black women exploring their God-given hair texture.

The plans for a light rail system in Lagos, Nigeria are finally taking off. Although the project has been in the works for over thirty years, it has remained a distant dream until much recently. As one of the largest cities in Africa, traffic flow has been a major problem in Lagos for decades. The Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (Lagos BRT), which was introduced in 2008, has helped to alleviate the traffic issue but the congestion is still overwhelming for many Lagosians.

It's 4pm on a Monday afternoon and I'm sitting in a class I've been eagerly looking forward to since the moment I registered for the Spring in NY program. The room is filled with New York University students and I am the only domestic exchange student and one of four people of color. While this is a far cry from my home institution, Spelman College, my excitement can not be abated. We begin to discuss the material for the day and we get into a discussion about ethnic differences. As the only Black African in the class, I feel obliged to contribute my "two cents." I raise my hand and suggest that the ties that Africans feel to their tribe/ethnic heritage are quite different from the understanding of ethnicity ascribed to by people in the Western world. I go on to explain my reasoning. I suggest that tribal identification is not simply a language and culture as, say, it is when I say I am French, but also includes a worldview of its own-a religion, a way of dressing, customs, and so on. Taiye Tuakli-Wosornu briefly alludes to this uniqueness when she says "to ‘be’ Nigerian is to belong to a passionate nation; to be Yoruba, to be heir to a spiritual depth." In short, my understanding is that the differences in culture between French and English are not as defined and "taken to heart" as the differences between, say, Igbo and Yoruba.Since the class is about independence and the transition from colonial rule in Africa, I tie my comment back to the overall theme of the class and allude to the fact that this may be a cause of the many civil wars in Africa. In my opinion, the comment is valid and not so out of the ordinary. Yet, to my surprise, it appears that the class has stopped breathing. I have rocked the worlds of my "liberal" classmates. In that brief moment, a student turns to me and bursts out "you're ETHNOCENTRIC." I instantly recoil. On one hand, I am silently thanking God for my late grandfather who taught me the meaning of that word and on the other, I am seething. I can't decide which expression to put on my face. I am hurt, angry, and confused. As far as I can tell, this girl has just insinuated that I am a racist. I am offended on so many levels and convinced that I must have been misunderstood! I am NOT opining that African is "BETTER" than any other ethnic identity. Neither am I saying that deep ethnic allegiances are an excuse or justification for ethnic violence (absolutely not!). I am simply stating what to me is a fact: that Africans, an in particular Nigerians, take their ethnic identities VERY seriously and in a way that most Westerners can NOT even begin to identify with, let alone understand.

Am I the only one who is amused by Former Military President Ibrahim Babangida's (a.k.a IBB's) aspirations to become the next democratically elected president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? I mean really! So far, the 2011 elections seem somewhat of a joke...

In "Ending the Slavery Blame Game", (New York Times Op-Ed, April 23), Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., discusses his belief that the role of Africans in the slave trade complicates the issue of reparations for descendants of American slaves. His basic argument seems to imply that because some Africans took an active role in the slave trade, advocates of reparations in the United States (and elsewhere) stand on shaky ground.

Welcome to Nigeria happened to be one of the top trending topics on Twitter last week Thursday. For those not familiar with Twitter, "trending topics" are the most popular/ most discussed topics on Twitter at a given moment. It was pretty random because nothing particularly special was happening in Nigeria, except for maybe BBC's new documentary Welcome to Lagos.Usually trending topics are about major current events that affect a broad range of people, so for "Welcome to Nigeria" to have been one of the top ten topics for almost 24 hours was a pretty big deal. At first, I was excited because it seemed like an amazing PR opportunity. Nigeria has a pretty bad rep in the international community and this was the time for young Nigerians all around the globe to shed some light on what makes Nigeria so special.People are introducing Nigeria to the world and tweeting things that are unique to Nigeria.