Author: Dr. Ikenna A. Ezealah, JD, Ph.D., MBA

The saying “Africa must unite” is not just a philosophical ideology, but a practical necessity for survival and continental progress. I have earnestly reflected about the way forward for Africa from every possible angle, and have concluded:

“Without collective African unity, no African country in the present or immediate future can develop into a global power.”

Here is an illustration using Senegal. Imagine Apple and Google setup operations in Senegal, and Senegal enjoins them to strictly follow local laws to avoid legal consequences. Now consider the Senegalese GDP compared with the revenue of the multinational firms.

Senegal 2023 GDP: $64 billion

Apple 2023 Profit: $97 billion ($383 billion revenue)

Google 2023 Profit: $73.795 billion ($307 billion revenue)

Question: How can Senegal whose GDP is less than the profit of both firms realistically have the economic power to hold them accountable? How can Senegal alone withstand the financial onslaught and greater leverage of the stronger multinational firms if they flexed their might through various means?

To have effective enforcement power over multinational entities and stronger foreign countries, the continent needs to work together because the collective economic and political strength, when strategically coordinated, will be able to outweigh and overpower. It is as simple as that.

Imagine if Africa has a Continental Congress that forms overarching unifying policies so there are two sets of laws: domestic laws of the African country, and an overarching continental law that applies when specific criteria are met. Now imagine if one of these policies is summarized as follows:

“If a multinational firm operates in any African country and their annual revenue equals or exceeds the GDP of the African country, then the multinational firm will no longer be subject to the local laws of the said country but superseding continental regulation and oversight by the African Continental Congress.”

The cross-border oversight would ensure that monitoring, regulation, and enforcement would be continental in scope and effect through tightly coordinated political and economic power.  The same holds true in other sectors. So, if African countries obstinately insist on pursuing their individual courses and policies because they are enjoying the spoils of “sovereignty”, then they will be relentlessly picked apart and remain weaker.

But Africa’s unique geography, cultural heritage, history, resource endowment, and present circumstance in global geopolitics absolutely requires that, to properly develop and counter all adverse influences, all African countries be closely coordinated so they work as effective and efficient parts of a greater whole.

Africa’s strength lies in its unity, whereby smaller rivers join into a stronger ocean of collective might whose waves can then guide the march of events to a brighter African destiny.

“Africa must unite.” So the Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah was right!

All for one and one for all. Onward & Upward!

~Dr. Ikenna Ezealah

The US-Africa Leaders Summit was an initiative in which President Biden invited leaders from across the African continent to Washington DC on December 13-15, 2022. For the US the Summit aimed to strengthen ties with African partners and collaborate on key areas of mutual interests.

I respect the general purpose of the Summit and applaud the US effort in organizing it. However, I believe the framework of the Summit was severely flawed and even in poor taste, but that the African leaders were willing accomplices in this poor design.

A Summit between 1 country and 1 continent (54 countries) is organized, and it is continent that comes to the country instead of the 1 country coming to the continent! A framework reflects a worldview, and here the worldview reflects the attitude that Western interests is primary in any dynamic. As the all-important center around which all others must gather around and find their place, despite the use of words like “partners”. The optics reflected the notion that the US and the President does not believe making serious efforts to be worthwhile when dealing with Africa, and they will only engage when it is convenient. Thus, going to Africa is not worth the effort unless the whole of Africa comes to the US.

But the African leaders also erred. The framework of their thinking still reflects a valorization of the West and the US, not as partners but as models to emulate and the center around which they should organize themselves. In the attitude of African elites is a subconscious tendency to prioritize and compliantly follow the initiative of theirs without original modification. Thus, when invited abroad, they eagerly fly to DC and take pictures with the giddiness of star-struck tourists.

That is what the framework of the US-Africa Summit communicated to many keen observers who paid attention.

If there was a real leader in Africa, then upon receiving the invitation he would graciously thank the US and take the invitation under advisement. Next, he would consult with other African leaders and kindly respond with a modification: saying that the leaders of Africa propose the Summit be held in Africa, in a country to be chosen by a designated date, and that African leaders will give the US delegation a befitting reception on African soil.

But who in Africa responded this way? Where was the leadership that continentally organized and coordinated other African leaders to ensure that even framework of the US-Africa Summit was respectfully balanced?

For the next US-Africa Summit, I recommend the US President visit Africa and engage with the African officials there. The framework would then show that the US wishes to take the trouble to engage Africa like respectful partners, and is willing to make the effort to forge new deals at the cost of some convenience.

Again, I applaud the aim of the US-Africa Summit, but the framework among other elements was flawed and needs to change to produce a better outcome.

~Dr. Ikenna Ezealah