Zik of Africa

[Biko Agozino]

https://a.co/d/0gQ1lX0I

Biko

[Dr. Oohay]

Zik of Africa -- why not Zik of Naija first?... a problem with "continentalism" & "globalism." Why not first take care of his national home sufficiently? 

Oohay

On Friday, July 31, 2026 at 12:48:18 AM CDT, 'Biko Agozino' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafric...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

https://a.co/d/0gQ1lX0I

Biko

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[Biko Agozino]

You may want to find another local hero, but this one is taken. His leadership roles did not start in Naijungle and his influence is continental. His book in Gold Coast was titled Renascent Africa, his bank was called the African Continental Bank, his newspaper was West African Pilot, and his political party was the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons. That was why he was called Zik of Africa.

Biko

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[Ibrahim Abdullah]

Zik was Africa before he became Owelle of Onitsha!

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[Edward Kissi]

And, Biko, you could add that one of Zik’s ethical and instructive writing in his West African Pilot, during the Second World War, and the Holocaust, was his June 15, 1942 editorial entitled “A lesson to all Africans”. It was about the reported (on BBC radio) Nazi destruction of the Bohemian (Czechoslovakia) town of Lidice, killing all the men and rounding up the town’s women and children to various concentration camps in Nazi-occupied Europe. I have been to Lidice as an Africanist-Holocaust historian. Zik wrote “If the Germans could treat their own colour, as alleged, how much more will they treat the African who, in Hitler’s own words, is nothing but an ape!”. 

Zik was as you have described him.  I will be looking for your book soon.

Edward Kissi

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 31, 2026, at 12:27 PM, 'Biko Agozino' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafric...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



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[Dr. Oohay]

Thanks for pointing out implicitly why Zik (a compelling Naija leader NEVER became a CEO (of Naija but a titular head ("President"). In general, Ahmadu Bello outwitted southern/northern NAIJA politicians. Prime Minister (CEO) Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (in general, a demonstrably HONEST but incompetent prime minister). Apparently,  the Sardauna of Sokoto Ahmadu Bello outwitted them all for better or worse. Almost any ism (in a logocentric sense)hardly works economically. 

Oohay.

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[Biko Agozino]

Dr. Kissi, thanks for reminding us about the internationalism of Zik. In addition to your note, we know that his first book was about Liberia in World Politics, and his first newspaper was set up in Gold Coast in partnership with a trader. 

Dr. Ochay, Zik was Head of State and Commander in Chief of the armed forces as the first President after serving as the first indigenous Governor General, the first President of the Senate, and first Premiere of the Eastern Region. 

Politics is a team sport and not a game of individuals outwitting others. Accepting the title of Owelle of Onitsha was obligatory for him as the head of his family and he humbly accepted the honor. 

More books will be written about Zik but this one is only a children's picture book, not a doctoral dissertation. You can order copies on Amazon and feel free to nominate other readers to be featured in the African Leadership children's picture book series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HC8LJN1F?binding=kindle_edition&ref_=dbs_s_ks_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1785695564&sr=1-1 

Biko

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[O O]

Please stop DISTORTING history; the Presidency at the time in question functioned as a TITULAR figure (NO CEO powers of any kind; he functioned the same way as today’s British king (King Charles the III) — The USA said NO to King George III. 

Oohay.

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[Emeagwali, Gloria (History)]

Biko

How about Thomas Sankara 

and Ibrahim Traore.I nominate 

them.

Dr. Gloria Emeagwali
Professor of History/African Studies, CCSU
Chief Editor- "Africa Update"
https://sites.ccsu.edu/afstudy/archive.html
Gloria Emeagwali's Documentaries
www.vimeo.com/gloriaemeagwali
Founding Coordinator, African Studies, CCSU
http://www.vimeo.com/938058353
Publications
https://vimeo.com/1191038130

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From: 'O O' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, August 3, 2026 00:44
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Zik of Africa

 

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[Biko Agozino]

Zik was a republican democrat who opposed having a House of Chiefs in the Eastern region which remained unicameral under his Premiership; compared to the bicameral Northern and Western regions with Houses of 'Natural Rulers'. Azikiwe was President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, no King in the Nigerian constitution. That is history, not an opinion.

Biko

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[Biko Agozino]

Thanks, I will work on Thomas next.

Biko

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[Dr. Oohay]

Indeed two of the relatively recent authentic revolutionaries.

Oohay.

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