Charles Darwin speculated and rightly that it was Africa and not a Garden of Eden in the near or far east – where evolution of race should be traced. Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore also hailed and saluted Africa, the enigmatic dark continent as the cradle of all civilizations!

However, the lingering effects of Western Slavery for hundreds of years, pervading colonialism, brutal American Imperialism, an exploitative International Economic System to defective and incompetent political leadership, economic mismanagement to wide spread and appalling corruption – the effect of everything on Africa today is very deep rooted and frightening! Surprisingly, nothing of these could really inhibit or kill the African spirit of hospitality!

Our experience is not otherwise. During our recent visit to Nigeria, starting from the Bellboy at Hotel Welcome Centre, Lagos, to the little cute school children in Idumota, to the unknown smiling and welcoming passersby on our way to Ilorin, 250 kilometers away from Lagos and lastly our very courteous customers – everybody and everything overwhelmed us. Visiting Nigeria after such a long time was indeed revealing and refreshing.

The people of Africa have been brutally traumatized. European Colonizers denigrated them for centuries as ‘sub-humans’ and denied them recognition of any meaningful intellectual, cultural or historical accomplishments. Called ‘savages’, millions of Africans were carted off in bondage to Americas as slaves for decades.

At the end of the day, Africa still remains an enigma! George B. N. Ayittey in his book ‘Africa betrayed’ – thus lamented, “Africa is still a foreboding enigma – a land of mystery full of melancholy, contrasts and paradoxes. For centuries, it was a baffling entity that held an irresistible appeal to outsiders”.

Despite everything happened so cruel and inhumane, Africa never lost hope in outsiders. We salute Africa for its everlasting endurance, tolerance, hospitality and the wonderful people with their indomitable spirit of living life in harmony