It’s not colonial names holding Africa back, but corruption and poor governance

Tendai Ruben Mbofana

In many African societies today, there is a curious preoccupation with colonial names—both personal and geographical. 

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I recently came across a video of a young woman, passionately questioning why children continue to bear names such as John or Michelle, as if the mere utterance of these names were an affront to African identity. 

She curiously wondered why we don’t hear African names given to European places or people. 

But she appears to miss a crucial point: Africa never colonized Europe. 

The reality is straightforward—names, like streets or towns, often reflect the history of those who shaped a place through conquest, settlement, or governance. 

Europeans imposed their language, culture, and naming conventions across Africa during centuries of colonization, but the reverse never occurred. 

Expecting Europe to carry African names would be historically inaccurate and logically inconsistent. 

Understanding this helps us see that colonial names in Africa are not arbitrary impositions but legacies of a power imbalance, one that shaped society far beyond mere labels. 

Yet, one rarely hears such debates in Britain, a country whose history is steeped in multiple layers of conquest and colonization. 

No Briton questions why their children are called William, Richard, or Elizabeth, or why the streets they live on bear names with clear Roman, Norman, or Anglo-Saxon origins. 

This raises an important question: why do we, as Africans, obsess over names, while seemingly ignoring the deeper structural issues that truly affect our lives?

To understand this, it is worth briefly examining the origins of English names and places. 

Many personal names commonly used in England today are legacies of past conquests. 

Names such as John, William, Richard, Robert, and Edward are all of Norman or Anglo-Saxon origin. 

John, for instance, has Biblical roots brought to England via Norman influence; William derives from the Norman conquest of 1066; and Richard is of Germanic origin, introduced during the Anglo-Saxon period. 

Even everyday English words carry the imprint of conquest and colonization, reflected in pronunciation differences that hint at the layers of history embedded within the language itself. 

Consider the “ch” in “choir,” “chair,” and “character”—each pronounced differently, revealing Latin, French, and Greek influences respectively. 

Yet no Briton treats these linguistic remnants as a scandal or a reason for national soul-searching.

Similarly, place names in England bear testament to centuries of occupation and colonization. 

London, for example, comes from the Roman name ‘Londinium’, established nearly two millennia ago. 

Names such as York, derived from the Viking ‘Jorvik’, and Lancaster, from the Roman ‘Loci Castra’, further illustrate how colonization shaped the very geography of the country. 

The British themselves are acutely aware of their layered history, yet they do not waste energy denouncing these names or seeking to erase the past. 

They accept it as part of a historical reality that has long been integrated into their national identity.

The legacy of names and places in Britain reflects centuries of foreign influence imposed upon the British people themselves, and they have learned to live with it. 

In contrast, some Africans express outrage when European names or colonial-era place names remain in use. 

Such sentiments, however well-intentioned, often betray a misunderstanding of the power of a colonial legacy. 

Colonialism is a structural force that shaped politics, economics, education, and culture—it is not something that can be reversed by simply changing names. 

Africans did not colonize Europe, so it would be both unreasonable and historically inaccurate to expect Britain to bear African names. 

Likewise, expecting African societies to erase all colonial influences overnight ignores the complex historical realities that continue to shape our nations.

I love my Shona name, Tendai, and I carry it proudly, for it holds a profound meaning of gratitude. 

My mother had endured repeated miscarriages, and when I was finally born, I was unresponsive—neither breathing, crying, nor moving. 

Eight hours later, when I was brought to life, there was every reason to “give thanks,” which is precisely what my name signifies.

Yet I have no objection to the name Ruben, which is of Biblical origin and carried to Africa through European influence. 

It does not diminish my African identity or my cultural heritage. 

The obsession with eradicating such names, while ignoring the realities of everyday oppression, is both misplaced and counterproductive. 

It suggests a society that is more concerned with symbolic victories than with substantive change.

The issues that truly matter to Africans today are tangible and immediate. 

Poverty, unemployment, failing infrastructure, corruption, and political repression are the forces that shape our daily lives. 

Millions of people languish in abject poverty, not because their parents named them John or because the main street in their town is called Victoria Street, but because corrupt leaders continue to loot resources and neglect public service delivery. 

These are the real issues—structural, economic, and political—that demand urgent attention.

Moreover, history teaches us that the British themselves were colonized multiple times. 

The Roman occupation of Britain lasted centuries, followed by Anglo-Saxon migrations and Norman conquest. 

Each of these periods brought foreign influence, yet modern Britain has learned to live with its complex history without allowing it to impede national development. 

The country focuses on building institutions, strengthening governance, and maintaining a functional economy. 

It has moved on, understanding that dwelling excessively on past injustices without actionable strategies is counterproductive.

As Africans, we must adopt a similar mindset. 

Our history is important, yes, but it must be used as a foundation to build the future, not as a tool to excuse current failures. 

A people’s past should inform policy, identity, and national pride, but it should not be a substitute for accountability or effective leadership. 

Repeating the same complaints about colonial names or symbols without addressing the structural issues we face only serves to distract us from the urgent tasks of governance, economic reform, and social justice.

There is a dangerous complacency in obsessing over symbolic colonial legacies while ignoring real problems. 

When resources and energy are directed toward renaming streets or vilifying foreign-derived names, the more pressing matters of food security, healthcare, education, and economic freedom remain neglected. 

We must recognize that colonial influence is a historical reality, not a personal insult. 

Accepting this reality is not a betrayal of identity; it is an acknowledgment of history coupled with a focus on building a better future.

Ultimately, the fixation on colonial names represents a distraction from the deeper work of nation-building. 

We should take pride in our languages, cultures, and indigenous identities, but without losing sight of the pressing challenges that define our daily lives. 

Naming a child Tendai and calling the next Ruben does not determine the trajectory of national development; fighting corruption, demanding accountability, and investing in human capital does. 

These are the battles that truly shape societies.

As Africans, we must stop allowing ourselves to be consumed by symbolic debates. 

Let us honor our history, but let us also confront our present, address our weaknesses, and work toward a future where our people thrive. 

Names, streets, and symbols are not what enslave us today; our failure to demand accountability from our leaders and to prioritize development is. 

Until we focus on the realities that shape our lives, our obsession with colonial remnants will remain a distraction from the urgent work of nation-building.

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