Africa was never small, Ajulo tells UN, others

…says map correction must translate to fairness, opportunity for Africans

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State, Dr Kayode Ajulo, has said the correction of long-standing distortions in the representation of Africa on world maps must go beyond cartography to address the deeper inequalities confronting the continent.

Ajulo, in a piece titled “Africa Was Never Small: When the United Nations Finally Corrects the Map,” said the development was a reminder that the way Africa had been represented over the years had influenced global perceptions of its size, importance and possibilities.

He noted that the Mercator projection, although developed principally for navigation, created a misleading impression of the relative size of territories, with Greenland appearing comparable to Africa despite Africa being about 14 times larger.

“Africa did not change when that image became familiar. The representation did,” he said.

Ajulo argued that repeated images in classrooms, atlases and public institutions could shape how people perceived the world, stressing that accurate representation mattered because it carried meaning.

He, however, maintained that Africa’s worth did not depend on how it was depicted, pointing to the continent’s ancient civilisations, intellectual traditions, cultural diversity, natural resources and human capital.

According to him, Africa must now move beyond a global narrative centred largely on poverty, conflict, disease and corruption to one that recognises its enormous potential.

“Africa is not merely a continent with problems. It is a continent with possibilities of global consequence,” he said.

Ajulo said the challenge was to convert those possibilities into shared prosperity by tackling inequalities in education, access to capital, technology, healthcare, employment and governance.

He argued that an egalitarian Africa should be one where “birth does not predetermine destiny,” saying children in rural communities should have access to quality education, farmers should have finance and technology, entrepreneurs should be able to access capital without political connections, while African scientists should have the facilities to conduct research at home.

“These are not demands for privilege. They are demands for fairness,” he stated.

The Ondo Attorney-General also urged the international community to treat Africa as a partner rather than merely a recipient of aid, calling for greater African representation in decisions on global finance, trade, technology, climate policy and security.

He equally challenged African governments to strengthen institutions, uphold the rule of law and ensure that the continent’s vast natural resources translate into public value.

“The world must treat Africa more fairly. Africans must govern themselves more effectively. Both are necessary,” Ajulo said.

He maintained that the real test of progress was not the number of skyscrapers or the wealth of a few individuals, but whether ordinary Africans could access quality education, healthcare, decent employment, justice and the freedom to pursue meaningful lives.

Ajulo said Africa should neither seek pity nor permission, but partnership among equals, adding that the continent’s future was inseparable from that of the global community.

He concluded that the real significance of correcting the map would be realised only when recognition was translated into reform, resources into prosperity, and potential into opportunity.

“The world owes Africa fairness. Africa owes her children excellence,” he said.