The annual commemoration of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, formerly known as African Freedom Day and African Liberation Day, is celebrated every year on May 25. It is a day for Africans and those who love Africa to demonstrate to the world that the continent is a force to be reckoned with and that the time has come for African youth to define the Africa they want, on their own terms, after centuries of being referred to in derogatory and demeaning terms.
HISTORY OF GLOBAL AFRICA DAY
The O.A.U. was created to aid numerous African nations in attaining transformation, liberty, and autonomy. In 1991, the O.A.U. established the African Economic Community, and in 2002, it established the African Union. Since its founding, a total of 21 countries have joined the O.A.U.
South Africa joined as the 53rd member on May 23, 1994. On April 15, 1958, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Ghana observed African Liberation Day or African Freedom Day, following the first Conference of Independent African States. In Ghana, this holiday was superseded by African Unity Day in 1963. Despite being renamed the African Union, the name and date of Africa Day have been preserved, and Africa Day functions as an occasion to honour the people and governments of Africa. Africa is home to numerous languages. Every African country, with the exception of Ethiopia, has one of the following official languages: English, Portuguese, French, or Arabic.
Except for Ethiopia and Liberia, every country in Africa was colonised by Europe. After gaining independence, one of the colonised nations’ official languages remained that of the colonisers. Upon its founding by African-American colonisers in 1847, Liberia had previously adopted English as its official language. Despite brief Italian occupation before World War II, Ethiopia was never colonised.
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5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT AFRICA
Second largest continent
Africa is the second-largest continent in terms of both area and population.
The tiniest coastline on Earth
Despite its size, Africa has the smallest coastline in the globe.
Africa’s largest population
Nigeria, in West Africa, has the highest population in Africa.
The tallest mammals on Earth
Africa is home to the world’s tallest and largest terrestrial mammals, the giraffe and African elephant, respectively.
2,000 Different dialects
There are approximately 2,000 distinct languages and dialects spoken in Africa.
GLOBAL AFRICA DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | May 25 | Thursday |
| 2024 | May 25 | Saturday |
| 2025 | May 25 | Sunday |
| 2026 | May 25 | Monday |
| 2027 | May 25 | Tuesday |
