Since I have a lot of free time on my hands when I am not working or studying, I have been planning my post-pandemic excursions. My planned return to my second home in East Asia is no secret. My plan to visit West Africa may come as a surprise to some. Those who know me are not surprised in the least.
West Africa is home to a large part of my ancestry. In fact, I have estimated 2/3s of my ancestry is from West Africa. As a child of Jamaican parents, I truly understand the meaning of the Jamaican motto, “Out of Many, One People”. The African side of Jamaican ancestry can be traced primarily to West Africa, mainly present-day Nigeria and Ghana.
As Jamaican dancehall, reggae, and Nigerian Afrobeats continue to tear up the charts worldwide, it is high time for me to go “home.” I have built quite the connection to my ancestral homeland and they are calling me to come home.
I look forward to visiting the land of Hi Life music, Afrobeats, Afrobeat (plural, a different genre made famous by the late Fela Kuti in Nigeria), Jolloff rice… originating in Senegal, West Africa, and spread throughout the region… nowadays we have a friendly rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria over who makes the best Jollof rice.
I cannot wait to explore the mountains in West Africa, enjoy the music and BBQ on the beaches, and the hustle and bustle of shopping in the markets. The incredible Nollywood film industry has me dreaming of visiting my ancestral lands.
West Africa, a region comprising of the ECOWAS economic block, is a future world powerhouse economically. It’s citizens are very industrious and entrepreneurial. West African students can be found all around the world excelling at the most prestigious universities.
The West African region consists of 15 nations totalling well over 360 million people. Nigeria is the most-populated nation in the region with over 200-million inhabitants. Nigerians are known to own some of the most prestigious real estate in London, UK.
The most well-known tribes in West Africa are the Yoruba, Akan, Igbo, Hausa, Wollof, and Mandingo. Studies have shown that the majority of slaves brought to Jamaica during the maafa (African Holocaust, aka Atlantic Slave Trade), were from the Akan peoples from present-day Ghana, and the Igbo people from present-day Nigeria. There were also Mandingo, Yoruba, Hausa, and others.
If one examines the Jamaican patios language, you will find Igbo, Akan, and Yoruba words. Jamaica truly is a melting pot of cultures.
After the pandemic, I will be touring West Africa and for business and leisure. I may have been born in Canada, but my roots are also Jamaican, West African, Iberian, and Middle Eastern.