Ghanaian writer: Using technology to tell African stories will reawaken self-identity

Jonathan Dotse, a Ghanaian science fiction writer, says the use of technology in telling African stories will help reawaken self-identity in the youth.

Speaking on Wednesday at the ongoing Digital Dialogue organised by MultiChoice in Dubai, Dotse explained the concept of Afrofuturism.

“Afrofuturism is an ancient African cultural practice undertaken as resistance to cultural hegemony and loss of identity,” he said.

Using recent Marvel movie, Black Panther, as an example, he said Afrofuturism is experiencing a resurgence and a wider audience is thirsting for new perspectives of African stories.

“Back in 2009, I attempted to write science fiction, however, I was trying to write it from an African perspective but found it difficult to find a believable foundation to build my content,” he said.

“My ideas were based on a Western perspective so I began to think more about Africa and science-fiction in a constructive and realistic way while creating awareness for the lack of Afrocentric narratives in the genre.”

Using examples of Kajola by Niyi Akinmolayan, District 9 by Neill Blomkamp from South Africa and other creatives, Dotse said “expressions of Afrofuturism are present in all facets of African and African-Diaspora creativity.”

He said Afrofuturism will ignite and grow engagement of youth in science and technology and increasing accessibility to the tools of digital media creation and dissemination.