UNIUYO's Ima Usen Emmanuel Advocates for African Unity

Professor Ima Usen Emmanuel, a Professor of English at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), delivered the 141st inaugural lecture titled “Circles and Circles of Relationship: Africans and African-Americans” at the TETfund auditorium in Uyo, Nigeria. She called for stronger cultural ties between Africans and diasporan Africans to combat the rising issue of Afro-phobia, which threatens peace and development on the continent.

Emmanuel noted that historical separations have hindered African unity and nationalism. She discussed the transatlantic slave trade as a significant rupture that separated millions of Africans from their heritage, yet highlighted how enslaved Africans preserved aspects of their culture.

Emmanuel identified literature as a vital bridge between Africa and African Americans, referencing authors such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

She urged for reciprocity in reconnections, acknowledging both shared heritage and historical differences, and advocated for a cultural dimension to Pan-Africanism through various artistic expressions.