Africanus Horton -the Activist

Africanus Horton was born in 1835 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to parents of Nigerian (likely Igbo) descent. He was born James Horton though changed his name to Africanus later in life. In 1855 Horton was   awarded a War Office scholarship so travelled to Britain to study medicine. Once qualified he was appointed Staff Assistant Surgeon in the British Army.

Horton was a respected physician, soldier and one of the first modern African political theorists during colonial rule  and all in the 1800s. He was also an activist who challenged European voices claiming that Africans were intellectually and morally inferior.

His 1868 book ‘West African Countries and Peoples’ directly challenged these racist beliefs. He didn't just defend African intelligence and capability he also laid down a vision for African-led economic progress. In his 1865 book titled ‘The Political Economy of British West Africa’, Horton made the case for African self-governance - nearly a century before most African countries achieved independence. He believed Africans should run their own governments and develop their own institutions.

Horton is widely viewed as one of the first African nationalists. He wasn’t just writing in theory, he also created infrastructure for Black-led growth. Horton invested in mining, banking and education in West Africa.

Africanus Horton died in 1883 at just 48 years old.

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