By Hamilton Odunze

AT a recent seminar sponsored by Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., once again, the issue of Africa’s economic and technological development was on the front burner. Most speakers blamed corruption and irresponsible leadership for Africa’s continued underdevelopment. Many of the speakers cited Nigeria as a good example of a country with abundant natural and human resources that should have spurred innovation and development. Instead, years of mismanagement and corruption have plunged Nigeria into a downward economic spiral. There are myriad examples of African countries on a downward economic spiral despite being blessed with natural and human resources.

It was a daylong seminar. But when it was finally my turn to say something, I asked questions that set the whole discussion in a different direction: What if the problem with Africa is not leadership? What if the real problem with Africa’s development is that Africans have been engaged in perpetual survival mode because of its history? These questions did not come at the spur of the moment. I had just finished reading the book Survivor Café. In this book, the writer explores the impact of the Holocaust on Jewish psychology. She argued that the Holocaust modified survivors’ genetic makeup. Her argument was based on the recent scientific theory that trauma can modify people’s genetic makeup, affecting behaviours passed down from generation to generation.?

In the case of the Holocaust, studies of the impact started as soon as concentration camps ended in 1945. Many survivors of the Holocaust suppressed their trauma because they wanted to embrace new lives with business and family. These survivors braved it all to move on with life, yet, they exhibited a variety of symptoms. Eventually, psychiatrists started to diagnose these survivors with mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder,PTSD, “concentration camp disorder,” and survivor syndrome. Psychologists and psychiatrists did not stop there. They argued that the Holocaust might be responsible for some character traits in the descendants of survivors.

But the impact of major traumatic events in Africa’s history has not been studied as much. Take slavery, for instance: It was just as life-altering as the Holocaust. Yet, a detailed analysis of its impact and how it altered the thinking of Africans has not been conducted. There may be a few reasons why. First, consider that the perpetrators of slavery are America and Europe, who have remained the most prominent powers in the world. Second, consider also that the victims of slavery are Africans with little-to-no global influence to push for analysis. If you plug these two scenarios into the equation, it makes sense why a study on the impact of slavery is not a global priority. Lastly, if it is proven that the impact of slavery is lingering and is responsible for creating a survival mentality in Africa; it makes the claim of reparation attainable.

The point I am trying to make is that Africa has witnessed its fair share of traumatic experiences. The foremost of these experiences is slavery. When studied extensively, just as the Holocaust has been, it might be that these events created a heritage of survival-mode mindset. This assertion brings me to the reason I used my time at the seminar to ask controversial questions about the African mindset. Clearly, people in survival mode lack the fundamental ability to innovate, be proactive, or use good judgment, both as leaders and followers.

To support my argument, a few weeks ago, the scientific world came up with a list of symptoms of survival-oriented behaviour. After reading the list, I could not wait to share it in this column. At the top of the list is strong egoism. Strong egoism puts one’s own needs above those of everybody else, including, of course, people who are close to you. Other symptoms include greed, irresponsibility, ruthlessness, low morale, lack of integrity, scrawny judgment, insecurity and intolerance.

In the context of Africa, one of the prevalent symptoms of survival mode is lack of empathy and compassion. For example, in Nigeria leaders are insensitive to the suffering of the poor and sick. This is a manifestation of survival-oriented behaviour motivated by the overpowering need for personal survival at the expense of others.  Another prevalent symptom of survival-mode, the bane of Africa’s development, is the ambition to get power and hold onto it, even at the expense of human lives. In this instance, power becomes a security blanket for its holders. Hence, they do not let go of it, even when it is obvious they have no ideas that will move their people’s collective aspirations forward.

I chose to ask the questions I asked at the seminar, but not because I want to blame the rest of the world for Africa’s problems. It was not even to use the past as an excuse. I raised the questions because they might provide insight into how we can solve Africa’s problems. When Suzy Kassem wrote in The Maxims of Medicine that “before you diagnose any sickness, make sure there is sickness in the mind or heart. The emotion in a man’s moon or sun can point to the sickness in any part of his other parts,” she captured my state of mind.

*Mr. Odunze, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Lagos.