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The African Fact Boook

The Africa Factbook is a comprehensive 1,200-page publication that aims to "bust myths" about Africa that Western historians and writers have created over centuries. It was produced by the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK) in Harare, Zimbabwe, in partnership with the African Union Commission, and edited by Ghanaian journalist Baffour Ankomah[1].

The book is available in two versions: the "Presidential Edition" (800 pages) and the "Scholar's Edition" (1,200 pages). It's fully illustrated and designed to be a teaching tool to revolutionize African classrooms[1].

Structure and Content

The Africa Factbook is divided into four main sections:

Section A: Busts key myths about Africa, covering topics like Ancient Egypt, African history, race, the Moors' influence on Europe, slavery, and reparations[1][2].
Section B: Contains profiles and fast facts about all 55 African countries[1][2].
Section C: Focuses on African inventions, discoveries, journeys, pioneers, innovations, and writing systems[1][2].
Section D: Deals with the African Diaspora (referred to as "Global Africa"), chronicling the experiences of African-descended people scattered around the world[1][2].

Origins and Development

The book originated from a 2016 conversation between Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, then chairperson of the AU Commission, and Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi, CEO of INSTAK. After receiving Muzawazi's "Book of African Records," Dr. Dlamini-Zuma suggested creating a factbook that would rely on African sources rather than non-African ones[1].

The AU Commission signed an agreement with the Book of African Records (BAR) in 2016 to produce the Factbook. The project faced funding challenges until the Zimbabwean government provided financial support. It took one year, from September 2019 to September 2020, to complete the first edition[1].

Purpose and Philosophy

The Factbook is based on the African philosophy that "until the story of the hunt is told by the lion, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter"[1][2]. It aims to correct distorted narratives about Africa and present the continent "in its true colors"[2].

According to Ambassador Muzawazi, "an African historian does not study history to understand the past, but to liberate himself from the past"[1][2]. The book presents Africa's response to "six centuries of calumny spewed by European historians and their cousins in the wider Western world"[2].

The Africa Factbook represents Africa's effort to break the silence and have its voice "heard out loud and clear" in what is described as "an ongoing global war of information"[2].

Citations: