We often imagine that nations that transformed themselves did so because they invented everything themselves.
The history suggests something quite different: again and again, the most successful societies were not the most original. But they were the best students.
That may sound obvious. Yet many of us behave as though borrowing ideas is a weakness. We celebrate originality, glorify homegrown solutions, and treat the labels “African”, “local” or “indigenous” as the ultimate proofs of sovereignty. But history teaches a different lesson.
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