Pan-Africanism Cannot Thrive Because It Has Alien Roots — Ben Brako

Veteran Ghanaian musician Ben Brako has questioned the long-term viability of Pan-Africanism, arguing that the ideology is disconnected from Africa’s traditional communities.

Speaking during an interview with Kafui Dey, Brako said one of his main concerns with Pan-Africanism is that it does not grow from indigenous cultural foundations.

“This is one of the problems I have with Pan-Africanism because it is not rooted in the communities,” he said.

According to Brako, the movement is driven largely by people seeking to preserve a shared Black identity without grounding that identity in the traditions of their local communities.

“It is a group of people who think they are emancipated but want to maintain a Black identity. But it is not rooted in the communities,” he said.

For that reason, he believes the ideology cannot endure.

“I don’t think it can thrive and survive because it has an alien source,” Brako stated.

He argued that successful societies are built on strong cultural identity and pride in their own heritage rather than adopting identities from elsewhere.

“Every community that is successful has a strong belief in its culture and heritage, and they know their history,” he said.

Brako further argued that abandoning one’s own cultural identity weakens society.

“Anybody who is proud to be somebody else is a lost soul,” he said. “We take the pride out of our people. Our youth think they have nothing to fall back on, but there is a whole rich history and culture.”