African Identity and the Emergence of Globalisation
Kanu, Ikechukwu Anthony

Abstract
The quest for identity embodies the value of the first principle of being: the principle of identity. This principle states that every being is determined in itself, is one with itself and is consistent with itself. The knowledge of the identity of a thing helps you know what the thing in question is and what may be legitimately attributed to it. The quest for an African identity in African Philosophy has the same undergirding principle. In this piece, the researcher responds to such questions as: what is Africa? What is African? Who qualifies as the African? How can an African be characterized? In the past, the experience of slave trade and colonialism were the provenance of such an enquiry, as Africa’s encounter with the West beclouded her identity. However, the researcher believes that the new threat to Africa’s identity is the movement of globalization, which he considers as a neo-colonialism. The researcher further observes that if the identity of the African is not defined and maintained, Africans would run the risk of being nameless actors in the world stage.

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