A Pan-African traveler seeking meaning across the continent
Princewill Inyang PhD, a Pan-African Strategist, Legal Educator, Scholar of Continental Integrationist, a social critic, and strategic researcher, the founding president of the Corporate Institute of Strategic Research, Global and Associate Professor of Strategic Research and Developmental Studies, Bordertown University, Global Centre for Advance Strategic Research, UK,
A Pan-African traveler seeking meaning across the continent:
"The Borders That Broke Me and the Hope That Holds Me"
A journey across Africa that changed everything.- Princewill Inyang PhD
When I first set out on my journey across Africa, I wasn’t looking for luxury or ease. I wanted something deeper. I wanted to know Africa—not from a textbook, not from headlines—but by feeling its heartbeat through the roads, the dust, the people, the languages, the soil. I wanted to learn the land of my ancestors, the land I call home—my motherland.
What I didn't expect was to encounter a different kind of border—not just physical ones, but emotional, ethical, and spiritual borders—barriers built not by colonizers, but by our own hands.
From Mali to Egypt, Kenya to Sudan, Zimbabwe to South Africa, Uganda to Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria to Ghana, and into Liberia, my journey was interrupted, again and again, by a bitter reality: corruption at nearly every border.
I’ve experienced levels and hierarchies of extortion that still leave a bitter taste. From $50 to $400 bribes, demanded not in whispers but with bold arrogance—even when my documents were complete, even when I followed every regulation. Sometimes I spent more than 24 hours at a border post—not because of missing paperwork, but because I refused to pay. They would hold my passport hostage, delay me with a smirk, waiting for me to give in.
At times, the extortion was wrapped in bureaucracy. Other times, it was raw and abusive—verbal threats, intimidation, humiliation. They didn’t care about ECOWAS. They didn’t care about East African community agreements. Those regional pacts meant to unite us? Paper tigers, ignored and irrelevant when you're face-to-face with a greedy officer with unchecked power.
Each border became a symbol—not of passage, but of pain. And yet, I kept moving.
Because I believe in Africa.
Even when the system tells me not to.
I am a Pan-Africanist—not in theory, but in lived experience. I believe in the dream of a united, awakened continent. But this journey exposed the cracks in our foundation. Our nations are still held hostage by selfish leadership, ancient divisions, ethnic bias, and a tragic game of divide and rule. The rule of law is mocked, agreements between nations are broken, and unity is more slogan than substance.
Every country I entered looked at itself as the center of the universe. Every officer acted like the border was a kingdom, and they were king. There is no shared African identity on the ground—only fragments. Suspicion. Superiority. Isolation.
And yet… I still believe.
Because belief is the beginning of transformation.
I believe we need a dynamic African identity—one that is not rooted in tribalism or colonial boundaries, but in shared destiny, dignity, and truth. I believe in the emergence of new leadership—leaders who don’t mimic the oppressors of the past but model a future of fairness, vision, and service. Leaders who value contracts, respect law, and protect the dignity of every traveler, every citizen.
Africa is called a giant—but right now, it is a giant of no repute. That can change. But not with silence. Not with fear. Not with blind nationalism.
It will change with courage. With new structures. With hard conversations and even harder choices.
My journey was not easy. It wounded me. It opened my eyes. But it also gave me a fire. And that fire is still burning.
A Pan‑Africanist’s Reckoning
I remain a Pan‑Africanist because I believe in our shared destiny. But this journey exposed our fractures: selfish leadership, tribal bias, and broken regional pacts. No nation seems to respect its neighbor’s agreements; the rule of law is too often mocked. Africa is called a giant, yet today it is a giant of no repute.
Toward a New Dawn
Awakening this sleeping giant demands more than slogans. We need a dynamic African identity rooted in dignity, solidarity, and accountability. We need visionary leaders who serve rather than exploit, who honor treaties and protect every citizen’s right to move freely. Change will require courage, honest dialogue, and structures that reward integrity over corruption.
My journey wounded me, but it also ignited a fire. I still believe in Africa—not the one I found at the borders, but the one we are still becoming.
#PanAfricanOdyssey #BordersOfAfrica #ExposeCorruption #TravelWithPurpose #DynamicAfricanIdentity #HopeForAfrica #UnityInDiversity #RuleOfLaw #BreakTheChains #AfricaRising
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