Category: Foreign Ambassadors

Transhumanism in Africa: A Movement Long Overdue – Article by Victor Urhefe

Transhumanism in Africa: A Movement Long Overdue – Article by Victor Urhefe

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Victor Urhefe

“Africa must not just be a consumer of new technologies, but a leader in shaping them to serve human needs and preserve human dignity.”

– Anonymous 

Transhumanism in Africa: A Movement Long Overdue

Africa, the cradle of humankind, has long been overlooked in the global discourse surrounding transhumanism. This intellectual and cultural movement envisions the enhancement of human capabilities through science and technology. However, as the world hurtles towards a future where technological advancements promise to redefine what it means to be human, Africa’s voice in shaping this narrative is vital and long overdue.

At its core, transhumanism is a bold vision that challenges the limitations of our current biological condition, seeking to transcend the boundaries imposed by nature through technological augmentation. From cognitive enhancements and life-extension therapies to human-machine symbiosis and mind uploading, the possibilities are as vast as they are provocative. Yet, for too long, the African continent has been relegated to the sidelines of this groundbreaking intellectual movement.

This marginalisation is a grave injustice, for Africa’s rich tapestry of cultural and philosophical traditions has much to offer the transhumanist discourse. The continent’s deep-rooted respect for ancestral wisdom and reverence for the natural world could serve as a counterbalance to the unbridled pursuit of technological prowess, fostering a more balanced and ethical approach to human enhancement.

As Kenyan philosopher Calestous Juma eloquently argued in his seminal work, “The Gene Hunters: Biotechnology and the Scramble for Seeds,” Africa must not be a mere spectator in the rapidly evolving fields of biotechnology and genetic engineering. “We cannot afford to be passive observers of the biotechnology revolution,” he wrote. “We must be active participants in shaping it to serve our interests.” (Juma, 1989)

This clarion call resonates profoundly in the realm of transhumanism, where the stakes are no less than the future of our species. By embracing the transhumanist ethos, Africa has the opportunity to reclaim its rightful place as a pioneering force in human advancement, harnessing its rich intellectual and cultural heritage to chart a course that harmonizes technological progress with ethical and spiritual considerations.

Indeed, several African thinkers and innovators have already begun to blaze this trail. Kenyan researcher Kamau Gachigi, for instance, has been a vocal proponent of using emerging technologies to address Africa’s pressing challenges, from healthcare to food security. In his widely acclaimed TED Talk, “Making Sense of Transhumanism in Africa,” Gachigi articulated a vision of “Afro-transhumanism,” a movement that seeks to leverage technological advancements while remaining rooted in African values and cultural traditions.

These voices, among many others, underscore the urgent need for Africa to engage more deeply with the transhumanist movement, lest it be left behind in the relentless march of technological progress. By embracing transhumanism on its terms, Africa can not only contribute to shaping the future of humanity but also address some of its most pressing challenges, from healthcare and education to food security and environmental sustainability.

Imagine, for instance, the transformative potential of neural implants and brain-computer interfaces in improving access to education and cognitive enhancement for Africa’s youth. Or ponder the impact of advanced gene-editing technologies in eradicating devastating genetic disorders and enhancing crop yields to alleviate food insecurity. The possibilities are as boundless as they are tantalizing.

Yet, as with any transformative movement, transhumanism in Africa must navigate a delicate balance between technological progress and ethical considerations. The continent’s rich cultural heritage, with its emphasis on community, harmony, and respect for the natural world, can serve as a guiding light in this endeavour, ensuring that human enhancement is pursued not as an end in itself, but as a means to create a more equitable, sustainable, and spiritually fulfilling existence for all.

In this pursuit, Africa must draw upon its long tradition of communal decision-making and inclusive governance, fostering a vibrant public discourse that engages all stakeholders, from policymakers and scientists to religious leaders and grassroots communities. Only through such inclusive dialogue can the continent chart a course that harmonizes technological advancement with its deeply held values and cultural traditions.

The path ahead will undoubtedly be fraught with challenges, from the ethical quandaries posed by emerging technologies to the practical obstacles of funding and infrastructure. Yet, Africa’s resilience and ingenuity, forged through centuries of adversity, are well-equipped to surmount these hurdles. As the Kenyan scholar Ali Mazrui once remarked, “Africa has been shaped not by its environments alone, but by its capacity to respond creatively to those environments.” (Mazrui, 1986)

As the world stands poised on the precipice of a transhumanist future, Africa’s voice must not be silenced. Its rich cultural and philosophical traditions, coupled with its boundless potential for innovation, can serve as a beacon for navigating the uncharted waters of human enhancement. For in the end, the quest for transcendence is not merely a technological endeavor, but a profoundly human one—a journey that calls upon us to redefine the very essence of our existence.

And who better to guide us on this journey than the continent that cradled the dawn of humanity itself?

Works Cited:

Juma, C. (1989). The Gene Hunters: Biotechnology and the Scramble for Seeds. Princeton University Press.

Mazrui, A. A. (1986). The Africans: A Triple Heritage. BBC Publications.

The Development of Transhumanism in China – Article by Peter Wang

The Development of Transhumanism in China – Article by Peter Wang

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Peter Wang

Editor’s Note: The U.S. Transhumanist Party publishes this fascinating account of the history, current situation, and future prospects for transhumanism in China from our Foreign Ambassador in China, Peter Wang. We in Western countries have encountered far too little information about whether and how transhumanism has been received in China, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disruptions. Based on Mr. Wang’s article, it seems that while there are some significant current limitations that have prevented transhumanism’s widespread recognition in China, we can also harbor grounds for hope that this situation will change due to the increasing interest in technological development, as well as the pragmatic, secular, and technologically open-minded attitudes of the Chinese people. Please note that Mr. Wang’s assessments of Chinese history are his own, although we certainly understand why he would characterize some eras of Chinese history in the way that he does. The U.S. Transhumanist Party does not generally take positions on the overall governmental structures and political situations in other countries; internally our members have a wide spectrum of opinions in this regard. The U.S. Transhumanist Party rather may take an interest in the implications of such political situations for the spread of science, technology, and transhumanist values and ideals. In this regard we consider Mr. Wang to have provided astute and nuanced characterizations that aid in our understanding of the situation in China and the ability of transhumanism to make inroads in light of the political and societal realities there – in terms of both opportunities and limitations. 
~ Gennady Stolyarov II, Chairman, United States Transhumanist Party, January 18, 2022

1. Historical Development of Chinese Transhumanism

Ancient Chinese society was dominated by feudalism. The economy was dominated by agriculture, and the development of science and technology was slow or even suppressed. The main achievements of this era were the four major inventions of China: papermaking, gunpowder, the compass, and printing. Why was this so? For an ancient civilization with a history of several thousand years, why was the development of science and technology so backward? The fundamental reason was the idea of ​​imperial power. Ancient China was centered on the emperor, and everything on the Chinese land was owned by the emperor, including the farmers on that land. The emperor was afraid of a peasant revolution and was afraid that others would take the emperor’s place, and as a result successive emperors would use the policy of fools. Instead of allowing farmers to read books, the emperors just wanted the farmers to plant the land every day, like slaves, so that the farmers would have no ability to overthrow the rulers. This idea of ​​imperial power had greatly suppressed the development of science and technology.

In 1949, Mao Zedong established the first democratic, self-improving, unified China in Chinese history: The People’s Republic of China, a stable country; a country without feudal ideas; and a country that serves the people. Only then did China begin to truly develop its own education, technology, and industry. It was aimed for ordinary people to have food to eat, houses to live in, and books to read, and it was also intended for them to be more involved in technology and democracy. However, Chinese politics had hindered the development of science and technology (superhuman science), such as the Great Leap Forward, which severely reduced China’s productivity and starved many people; the Cultural Revolution had destroyed China’s economic development, education, and technology, bringing China back to pre-liberation overnight. These events were relatively unfortunate. Political struggles have severely hindered the development of science and technology (superhuman science) in China.

In 1978, China began reform and opening up. This phase of reform and opening up was China’s greatest era. China has changed from a closed country to an open country. Deng Xiaoping formulated a basic national policy centered on economic construction, which has enabled China’s economy to develop rapidly. At this time, China attaches great importance to the development of education, science and technology, and the economy. At the same time, special attention is also paid to foreign exchanges, and advanced education and technology have been introduced from abroad. In education, a large number of international students are sent to study in developed countries such as the United States, which has cultivated a large number of scientific and technological talents for China; economically, a large number of foreign companies have been introduced to optimize state-owned enterprises and support for private enterprises, so China’s economy has developed rapidly. China’s science and technology, the introduction of advanced Western technology, and scientific and technological talent have all been vigorously developed. While China, which is in line with international standards, has experienced such rapid development in science and technology, China does not yet have transhumanist ideas and corresponding organizations.

In ancient and modern China, there was no transhumanist thought and corresponding organization, mainly because the political thought and system at that time severely hindered the development of science and technology (transhuman science). I believe this will be optimized in the future.

2.The Status Quo of Chinese Transhumanism

Transhumanism has developed very well abroad, with examples such as Google’s artificial intelligence, Tesla’s driverless cars, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface (Neuralink), and some biological sciences that could extend human life. Compared with foreign countries, the development of transhumanism in China is far behind and is still in its infancy. Most Chinese have not heard of transhumanism, let alone have a corresponding organization. The main reasons are as follows:

1. Lack of information on transhumanism.

There are no media in the country that specifically report on transhumanism. Some mainstream media have no reports in this regard, such as CCTV and local TV stations. Other online media, such as NetEase and Tencent, have reported very little. Some tech media report slightly more points regarding transhumanism, such as 36KR. The lack of transhumanism-related information and articles makes it difficult for the Chinese to understand this new movement. I think it is necessary to establish our own community and write articles to promote transhumanism. Let more people know us and join us.

2. There are few transhumanism-related companies.

Chinese enterprises are mainly state-owned enterprises, and many foreign companies have been introduced. The development of these companies does not rely on innovation and R & D, but on low labor costs in China and government subsidies. There are no biotech companies in China, and there are no technology companies that study human life. Baidu has the best development in artificial intelligence, but it is also a lot worse than Google; Xiao Peng’s driverless car cannot be compared with Tesla’s driverless car. I think that enterprises are the new force for the development of transhumanism. Enterprises use products to improve people’s quality of life, and they use products to spread transhumanism. In the process of transhumanism’s development, the development of transhumanism-related enterprises is very important.

3. The government invested fewer resources.

Compared with foreign investment in high technology, China has invested less, and China has devoted more social resources to politics and people’s livelihood. Of course, the Chinese government has realized this problem over the years, and has begun to increase investment in high-tech fields and encourage people to innovate and start businesses. Many policy benefits, tax benefits, and talent subsidies were given. As a result, Chinese startups and VCs have developed rapidly. The government has also invested many resources in high-tech fields, such as nanotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and high-speed rail. Compared with foreign investment, there is still a gap between these investments, but this situation is expected to improve.

4. There are few transhumanist talents.

The fundamental reason for the lack of transhumanist talents in China is that people do not have access to information about transhumanism, because China lacks writers who can write articles about transhumanism. There are many well-known scientific and technological people in China who are interested in transhumanism, but they lack the time to understand transhumanism. These people are often busy, such as Alibaba’s founder Ma Yun, Baidu’s founder and CEO Li Yanhong, and Tencent’s founder and CEO Ma Huateng. Fewer workers are engaged in this area than could be. First, high-tech work is needed in this area, and transhumanism needs to be recognized. China is a country with a large population, and many people have received university educations. As long as we strengthen the propaganda of transhumanism, I believe there will be more and more transhumanist talents.

5. There is no corresponding organization to lead and promote.

There are no transhumanist organizations in the country. One reason for this is the lack of information in this area, and the other is the lack of talent in this area. I will establish a Chinese transhumanist community and community in the near future to promote transhumanism. As for China’s Transhumanist Party, because of the restrictions of the Chinese government, it can only wait for the right time to be established. Our communities and societies are of great benefit to the promotion of transhumanism in China.

6. The Chinese lack sufficient knowledge of transhumanism-related technologies.

Although China is a big manufacturing power, it is not a strong manufacturing power. A strong country needs innovation and high-end technology to support it. For the research and development of high-end technology, it often needs to invest a lot of resources, but the return rate is very low. Therefore, the research and development of high-end technology in China is often concentrated in the government, the military, and some large companies. Without enough technology and products, ordinary people have little knowledge of transhumanist technology (artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, biotechnology, driverless vehicles, etc.). In this regard, China still needs to work hard.

All in all, China’s transhumanism is still in its infancy and faces many problems and difficulties. However, we believe that transhumanism will develop rapidly in China, because the Chinese are more able to accept new things without the constraints of religious thought. China’s economy ranks second in the world, China’s population ranks first in the world, and China’s science and technology can rival Silicon Valley. Based on this, we believe that transhumanism will develop rapidly in China.

3. The Future Development of Chinese Transhumanism

All in all, I am optimistic about the development of transhumanism in China.

First of all, it is an inevitable trend to have transhumanism-related technologies to improve people’s living standards! People need transhumanism!

Secondly, from the perspective of the development of social civilization, human society has experienced primitive society, slave society, feudal society, capitalist society, socialist society, and will definitely enter the superhuman society!

Well-known scholars in China support transhumanism. Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and many well-known persons such as He Chuanqi, the director of the China Modernization Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, attach great importance to transhumanism. With the promotion of these people, transhumanism will certainly develop quickly.

Chinese culture is conducive to the spread of transhumanism. China is an open country and likes to learn new things, so the development of transhumanism in China has no cultural hindrance. Coupled with the fact that the Chinese do not believe in religion, do believe in science, and have no obstacles in the form of religious dogmas, the cultural soil is better than in the West. Many Western religious denominations, because of influence by extreme religious forces and anti-intellectual forces, will oppose the development of transhumanism.

China is increasing its investment in high-tech R & D. From 2003 to 2013, China’s investment in research and development has increased significantly, with an average annual growth rate of 19.5%, far exceeding that of the United States.

UNESCO’s “Science Report 2015: Facing 2030” at Paris headquarters shows that the United States in 2015 accounted for 28% of the world’s investment in research and development, and is still in a leading position, followed by China (20%). There are currently approximately 7.8 million scientific researchers worldwide, an increase of more than 20% by 2015 compared to 2007, of which the European Union accounted for the largest proportion, reaching 22%, followed by China (19%) and the United States (16.7%).

With so many resources and talents invested, I believe that transhumanism will develop rapidly in China! Transhumanism can lead to making better products, and these products can greatly enhance human beings. So, for smart and practical Chinese, they will definitely choose transhumanism!

Peter Wang is the U.S. Transhumanist Party Foreign Ambassador in China. 

Report on the International Colloquium “Njoh-Mouellé and Transhumanism in Africa” – by Siba Tcha-Mouza

Report on the International Colloquium “Njoh-Mouellé and Transhumanism in Africa” – by Siba Tcha-Mouza

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Siba Tcha-Mouza

Editor’s Note: The U.S. Transhumanist Party features this overview of recent transhumanist progress in Africa from our Foreign Ambassador for Togo, Siba Tcha-Mouza.

Here Mr. Tcha-Mouza focuses on the recent international conference “Njoh-Mouellé and Transhumanism in Africa” and its implications for Africa joining the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the conversation on the possibilities on the horizon, brought about by transhumanism and emerging technologies. Read this report for a brief overview of the thoughts of Cameroonian philosopher Ebénézer Njoh-Mouellé on the relation of transhumanism and bioethics as we consider the potentialities for the future progress of Africa.

~ Gennady Stolyarov II, Chairman, United States Transhumanist Party, November 27, 2021

From November 15 to 17, 2021 (three days), the international conference “NJOH-MOUELLE AND TRANSHUMANISM IN AFRICA” was held in Yaoundé 1, Cameroon, organized by the Institut Africain de Bioéthique (IAB).  This event is part of the preparation of an African and International Bioethics Forum dedicated to technoscientific progress and their challenges for the future of the human species in general and Africa in particular.

This African and International Bioethics Forum (FAIBE) will be organized in 2022 in Cameroon with the effective participation of a plurality of internationally renowned intellectuals and academics from France, Belgium, the USA, Canada, England, Spain, Switzerland, Greece, and a set of African countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Gabon, DRC, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Madagascar, and others.

This International Colloquium aims to officially announce a Bioethics Flexion Forum which will be held each year on African soil. This reflection will aim to mobilize resources for the development of an African bioethics in order to actively participate in the global reflection on bioethics. Transhumanism remains today one of the concerns driving global bioethical thinking.

Given the progress of transhumanist projects, Professor Ebénézer Njoh-Mouellé wondered about the value of transhumanism.  This precisely justifies his philosophical reflection, through his works, within the framework of an ethical concern for man.  It is in this context that several speakers successively gave their presentation by addressing transhumanism in its multiple aspects.

We participated in this great event also as the representation of the Transhumanist Party of the United States of America. The title of the presentation that we gave on the second day of the conference (16.11.2021) was entitled “The fourth technological revolution: Africa still facing its destiny”.

The main idea of ​​our intervention was an urgent appeal to Africa for its unconditional participation in the Fourth Technological Revolution.  This revolution, which will bring about a profound change in our society and even in our own biology, is an existential challenge for Africa.

Transhumanism, as a form of promotion and governance of disruptive technosciences, represents an opportunity to accelerate technological development in Africa.

The colloquium ended on the third day, 17.11.2021, with the preparation and presentation of reports and closing remarks.

Mr. Siba Tcha-Mouza

USTP Ambassador for Togo

Report on the Development of Transhumanism in Togo – by Siba Tcha-Mouza

Report on the Development of Transhumanism in Togo – by Siba Tcha-Mouza

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Siba Tcha-Mouza

Editor’s Note: The U.S. Transhumanist Party features this overview of recent transhumanist progress in Togo from our Foreign Ambassador for Togo, Siba Tcha-Mouza.  Here Mr. Tcha-Mouza focuses on the recent creation of the Lomé Data Centre and its implications for the spread of transhumanist ideas and opportunities on the African continent. 

~ Gennady Stolyarov II, Chairman, United States Transhumanist Party, September 28, 2021

The policy of the United States Transhumanist Party is based primarily on science and technology allowing the improvement of the physical, mental, and moral characteristics of the human being.  In practice, it is about the material, psychic, and social development of the human being thanks to the development of science and technology.  In this perspective, our representation in Togo would like to congratulate the efforts of the Togolese authorities for the creation of a Tier III level data center called Lomé Data Centre and inaugurated on June 4, 2021.

This project was funded by the World Bank as part of the West African Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (WARCIP) regional infrastructure development program and is part of the growth strategy supported by digital transformation.  It is an essential step forward for participation in the Fourth Technological Revolution.

The ambition to develop one of the fields of converging technologies makes it inevitable to explore all the other components of the fourth technological revolution.  Nanotechnology, biotechnology, computer science, and neuroscience necessarily intervene on top of each other to resolve technical dead ends and sometimes open the door to unheard-of possibilities.

The creation of Lomé Data Centre would undoubtedly be a first step which will necessarily require the intervention of artificial intelligence (AI) to be more optimal.  The mastery of this technological reality which is artificial intelligence (AI) will have a profound impact on almost all other fields by giving Togo a new impetus for technological development.

Our representation encourages such initiatives which are emerging more and more in Africa, and in particular in Togo, and hopes that other projects, within the framework of converging sciences and technologies, are born in order to accelerate scientific and technological research.  Thus, Togo would ensure its technological transformation and participate in the Fourth Technological Revolution.

Siba Tcha-Mouza
United States Transhumanist Party Foreign Ambassador for Togo

Generating Transhumanist Enlightenment in Nigeria: Reflections from a Transhumanist Presentation at the 2017 Convention of the Atheist Society of Nigeria – Report by Ojochogwu Abdul

Generating Transhumanist Enlightenment in Nigeria: Reflections from a Transhumanist Presentation at the 2017 Convention of the Atheist Society of Nigeria – Report by Ojochogwu Abdul

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Ojochogwu Abdul

The Atheist Society of Nigeria (ASN), an organization with the groundbreaking record of being the first secular group to achieve official registration in Nigeria, recently recorded another first by hosting the ASN Convention on 11th November 2017, the first event of its kind in Nigeria. Among the guest speakers featured at the Convention were Bill Flavell, Vice President of the Atheist Alliance International (AAI), Roslyn Mould, Chair of the African Working Group, International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organization (IHEYO), and Leo Igwe, President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria (HAN). Also featured as speaker was myself, Chogwu Abdul, Co-Founder of the Transhumanist Forum of Nigeria (H+FN) and United States Transhumanist Party (USTP) Foreign Ambassador for Nigeria, and I eventually presented a talk on the topic: “Merging the Human Brain with Computer: Implications for the Future of Humanity.” The talk focused primarily on the rising phenomenon of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs), but also broadly on the movement and philosophy of transhumanism as the general idea within which BCIs are contained.

As a transhumanist with a manifest interest in promoting the philosophy across Nigeria, and hopefully, throughout the African Continent, the presenter took the lecture as an opportunity to introduce the concept of transhumanism to a broad audience and initiate a discourse on the cultural, scientific, and philosophical movement within the public space of Nigeria. The reception given to the presentation at the Convention was seemingly warm, and some good interest was generated and expressed. But the work, realistically, is only just beginning, and practically speaking there is still so much to be done and perhaps millions of miles to go before transhumanism can go mainstream in Nigerian society – although it is the personal and sincere hope of this writer that the turn of events prove such a prediction wrong and the changes get to happen faster than expected.

At present, however, transhumanism is simply much of an unknown idea in Nigeria, with very few in the country having heard about the word or even knowing what it means. And even when some technologies or practices related to transhumanism, for example genetic engineering and biomedical engineering are proposed or seem to gradually find a way into Nigerian society, much resistance is witnessed, especially as presented by religious conservatives. Nigeria, if it must be said, is at it stands a very religious environment, and so far religious beliefs and attitudes indisputably hold much sway over the thought and lives of multitudes across the country, at least for the time being. Religious conservatism is at present therefore rife, and a lot that goes with scientific thinking still struggles from the margins, faced by challenges in trying to reach wider acceptance and influence.

However, there is, at least as perceived and discerned by some trend observers, something of a silent revolution gradually taking place across the country. Some have called this the slow dawning of a long-awaited mental awakening, one in which an increasing number of Nigerians, especially the current youth generation, are gradually becoming more embracing of critical thinking, science, rationalism, and secular reasoning. Much that goes with the manifestation of this trend is to be found on the Nigerian social media, where a secular community has been emerging and becoming increasingly vocal in challenging dominant conservative religious beliefs and practices, while at the same time promoting science, rationalism, and critical thinking. Secular humanism could be perceived as having found something of a confident foothold in Nigeria, and this gradual mental shift provides cause to hope that transhumanism could find a springboard and fertile ground from which to launch, grow, and spread across the country.

And then there is also that stubborn challenge of technological backwardness suffered by the country and much of Africa, which is yet another impediment that cannot be ignored in evaluating the transhumanist promotion task and prospects in this part of the world. The state of scientific and technological development in Nigeria is relatively (and realistically speaking) poor. Investments in research and development for science, technology, and even health have so far remained floated and struggling at very low points; technological infrastructure across the country is either absent, degrading, or fails to meet up with global standards, and much of the country’s finest minds in science, technology, and medicine are either already resident in foreign countries or are seriously working towards joining the exodus and brain drain flowing in the direction of the Nigerian Diaspora. For reasons as these, much that exists as a technological presence in the country mostly is available as a result of technology transfer, imported into Nigeria from foreign climes, and with quite a number of them arriving at the nation’s shores not as state-of-the-art, cutting edge innovations, but more as outdated technologies which represent a stage, away from which the exporting country has made or is already making noticeable progress.

Technological development therefore remains a key factor to be addressed in Nigeria for the transhumanist vision to gain foundations upon which to thrive, and this was highlighted in the presentation at the Convention. As a matter of encouragement though, there are, however, indications which give cause to expect some coming changes in the technological condition and fortunes of the country and Africa generally as a Continent. These indications derive from the growing number of tech-themed workshops, seminars, conferences, innovation hubs, and tech start-ups that are gradually but steadily exploding across Nigeria and a number of African countries. The Continent’s youths are becoming audaciously innovative and entrepreneurial, and more are doing so through developing homegrown technological solutions as responses to local problems. Such interventions are giving rise to a movement of indigenous innovation, and if this trend continues and gains sufficient support, then one could be cautiously optimistic enough to anticipate that it should only be a matter of time before versions of a host of emerging and converging technologies (nanotech, biotech, infotech, cognitive science and neurotech, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, robotics, biomedical engineering, etc.), get developed within local African contexts and as best suited for the African condition.   Moreover, interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education and STEM-related enterprise is gaining a fresh boost, the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation unveils very talented engineers and innovations from across sub-Saharan Africa yearly, and a very unique project by the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) known as the Next Einstein Initiative (NEI), which has been on course for over a decade now and has among its objectives the actualization of a scientific revolution in Africa, further provides a great vista for reasonable hope. Several young, bright Nigerian (male and female) scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, among their counterparts from other African countries, are seriously involved in this AIMS-NEI programme, undertaking research, and pleasantly enough, are breaking new grounds in several STEM-related fields.

The combination thereof, of a fledgling secularism and rational thinking culture with an emerging consciousness and demonstration for scientific and technological development in contemporary Nigeria, can be leveraged upon by transhumanists as strategic factors making for a more possible environment, as that opportunity of a slight opening in the door which could and should be seized upon to kick the doors open even wider for transhumanist thinking, technologies and practices to pour in and ubiquitously find their way into the Nigerian space.

The presentation on BCIs made at the 2017 ASN Convention was meant to create an awareness among Nigerians with regards to the state of movements in transhumanist thought, and to stir the people into action in connecting the now helpfully available threads of rational thinking, creative imagination, science, technology, and enterprise into the fabric of a transhumanist culture which would yield much progress for Nigerian society and human life. The response to this nudging – though it is yet early in the day to clearly tell – has so far been encouraging.

There are some of us here in Africa who believe that the Continent is currently going through an African Renaissance and as well stands at the thresholds of a Scientific Revolution. Some of us are also plugged in to other parts of the globe enough at least to be aware that there is present talk of a Second Enlightenment and a coming Fourth Industrial Revolution, aspects of an emerging, global transhumanist civilization, and to which bringing Africa up to speed should be a major concern. There are indeed several stages in the march of human civilization (for example, the European Enlightenment Era and the First and Second Industrial Revolutions) which Africa neither “positively” nor “proactively” participated in, and for which Africa can no longer afford the luxury of time in going through them again at this point in history, for what the Continent currently pragmatically needs is nothing short of a giant leap through the aid mostly of technology, if it must, as it obviously has to, catch up with the rate of advancement of the rest of the world.

Connecting the trajectory of Africa’s unfolding Renaissance and burgeoning scientific revolution to the dimensions of the Second Enlightenment, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and generally the transhumanist civilization through technology, education, enterprise, and any other agency necessary, thus should become the logical cause and big picture inspiring the transhumanist project in Nigeria and Africa within the 21st Century. For this objective then, and in these parts of our planet, the adoption and indigenous innovation of emerging technologies associated with and promoted by the transhumanist movement are to attract deliberate emphasis as the core of this vision and narrative. This is pertinent, for should humankind eventually evolve into a new, posthuman species, then the peoples of the continent from which Homo Sapiens originated, Africa, need not, and must not be left behind in this great transformative event.

The group currently known as the Transhumanist Forum of Nigeria (H+FN), or by any other name with which it shall be formally recognized in the near future, has therefore set out on the task of spreading transhumanist enlightenment and engaging the Nigerian public with transhumanist discourse, and from this to hopefully progress into helping forge a strong and effective transhumanist network across the African Continent. The work, we can say, has sincerely begun.

Chogwu Abdul

Co-Founder, Transhumanist Forum of Nigeria

USTP Foreign Ambassador for Nigeria

November 2017