An African’s View of America, Its Roles and the Future of the World Under its Leadership by Raji Ade Oba

It is well known, particularly in African region that America is an exceptional country. But at least, to a lot of international historians, the world-acclaimed God’s own country had been an unremarkable nation until the summer of 1917. The ascendancy of United States of America to world power status had only began after the nation’s leaders decided to drive it into First World War in 1917. Much of Europe was in an extraordinary bloodbath, and the United States was selling various arms and ammunition, including artillery and machinery to warring nations. America’s pocket grew so substantially Treasury Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo, a son-in-law of President Woodrow Wilson (who African university students emulate as the father of public administration), was already hatching strategies to replace the pound sterling with the dollar as the leading international reserve currency. As it is its idiosyncratic belief in manifest destiny, America, at the height of the World War I, welcomed its unprecedented prosperity and dominance on a global scale.

A century later, things have started to look shaky. The United States, long much respected around the world, including in this African region has lost much of that spark and charisma that once made it the envy of the world. Its bravado, its incredible optimism, its ability to make something out of nothing are seen being eroded gradually by the incapacity of its leaders to find common grounds, make tough decisions and align themselves to the current realities of the contemporary world. America, the world is no longer what it used to be, fifty, sixty years ago. There’so now  unprecedented rise in technological innovations across the globe, in globalization, and the emergence of rapidly-growing economies in Asia, compared to this boisterous snail-moving largest economy in the world. This speaks to your diminished standing in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive world.

Amidst all of the troubles that confront America today, the United States means a lot to Africa and to the rest of the world. Africa, and certainly pretty much the globe, does not relish the prospect of a world-dominant Russia or China albeit the latter seeming to be outstripping the US in its “humanitarian” role in this region. America must buckle down and keep herself wide awake. America must, again, look to upholding charismatic president Ronald Reagan’s idea of an ideal city on hill. It must build upon its timeless exceptional strengths seen in the fundamental decency of its people, seen it its inclusivity, in its resolve to ensure for its people, a life of self-determination, of liberty, of opportunity, and dignity.

Africa welcomes the leadership, once more, of the United States of America. The country has long been the greatest force for good in the history of the world. However, to become an enduring beacon of light again to the outside world, the United States must first look at putting its own house in order. A national conversation, representative of its rich diversity should be thought of. It must look to nation-building there at home. It must recommit itself to expanding opportunities for its people, to creating an enabling environment where every American, regardless of their station, race, socioeconomic or disability status can operate and realize their full potentials.

America, the best of your days are still wholly ahead of you. There is no doubt about that. Your books dominate our schools’ bookshelves and libraries. Your way of life is the dream of an average African teenager. Your style of government is practiced by over half of the 54 independent African nations. Your language is our language. And if we had to choose a country, other than our own country to where we could owe allegiances, it would be the United States of America.