Philip Emeagwali

The scientific contributions of Africans will silence many white supremacists and drive a deep stake into their argument that caucasians are the race of explorers, scientists, and inventors.




Philip Emeagwali
interviewed by Reuben Abati for The Nigerian Guardian.

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In fact, you've been described as the "Bill Gates of Africa." Do you consider this an appropriate description or do you see yourself as something more than Gates and Jobs?

It depends on the criteria --- intellectual, economic or social --- that is used in such comparisons. Intellectually, my contribution has more depth than that of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs.
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are both billionaires who made their money by selling computer-related products. Bill Gates is the richest man in the United States and has enough money to buy all the oil that Nigeria sells in a year. I cannot buy Nigeria's oil, but I can help Nigeria discover and recover more oil.
Bill Gates gave a lot to society and society gave a lot ($10 billion ) to Bill Gates. I gave a lot to society and took practically nothing from society.
Socially, my contribution is having an impact among people of African descent who find it inspiring.
Best selling books like The Bell Curve have proposed the theory that people of African descent lack the genes to make discoveries in fields like mathematics and computer science which require an ability to think in abstract terms.
There are millions of young boys and girls in Africa who can win Nobel Prizes in science when given the opportunity that I had. The scientific contributions of Africans will silence many white supremacists and drive a deep stake into their argument that caucasians are the race of explorers, scientists, and inventors.