society
Building Bridges in Africa, Not Walls: A Path to Stronger Systems and Stable Currencies
Building Bridges in Africa, Not Walls: A Path to Stronger Systems and Stable Currencies
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | For Sahara Weekly Nigeria
Across the vast and culturally rich continent of Africa, the future hangs delicately on one critical choice: DO WE BUILD BRIDGES THAT UNITE US OR WALLS THAT DIVIDE? At a time when the global economy is transforming through cooperation, trade integration and digital innovation, Africa must reject the retrogressive politics of xenophobia, protectionism and border hostility. The African Union’s agenda for 2063 and the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are powerful testaments to this path. Yet, for these ambitions to translate into transformative realities, African nations must discard internal divisions, political bigotry and economic selfishness.
Let it be said without apology; BUILDING FENCES BETWEEN AFRICAN COUNTRIES, CLOSING BORDERS TO NEIGHBORS AND CRIMINALIZING MIGRATION WITHIN OUR OWN CONTINENT ARE ACTS OF BETRAYAL TO THE PAN-AFRICAN DREAM. Instead, building economic, diplomatic, cultural and technological bridges is not only morally right but strategically essential for strengthening African systems and stabilizing our weakened currencies.
The Cost of Building Walls: Economic Isolation and Currency Devaluation
When South Africa shuts down its borders to Zimbabwean, Nigerian, or Malawian workers under the guise of protecting local jobs or when xenophobic rhetoric is normalized in political campaigns, it is not just human rights that are violated (it is economic logic that is INSULTED. African ECONOMIES are not COMPETITORS) they are interdependent allies. The idea that foreign African workers “STEAL JOBS” is not backed by empirical data. In fact, research by the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS) at the
University of the Witwatersrand finds that immigrant communities in South Africa are more likely to create informal employment
opportunities and pay
taxes than they are to take jobs from locals.
Moreover, protectionist policies and internal border closures inhibit
the very trade and free movement of labor that could stabilize local
currencies. As it stands, 41 of Africa’s 54 countries are facing exchange rate volatility,
many of them severely weakened against the
U.S. dollar. Nigeria’s naira, Ghana’s cedi and the South African rand have all been depreciating at alarming rates, partly because of dependency on imports, low regional trade and political instability.
According to the World Bank, intra-African trade accounts for only 17% of total African exports, compared to 59% in Asia and 68% in Europe. Why? Because instead of facilitating trade routes and visa-free movement, many African states still erect bureaucratic walls that delay commerce and undermine regional trust.
Bridges Bring Growth: Economic and Systemic Strength
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), launched in January 2021, is one of the boldest attempts to reverse this failure. With 54 signatories and a potential combined GDP of $3.4 trillion, it aims to boost intra-African trade by 52% by 2030, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa(UNECA). But treaties alone are not enough; we need the political will to honor them.
A study by McKinsey & Company reports that full AfCFTA implementation could lift 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty and increase the income of the continent by $450 billion by 2035. That is the POWER of BUILDING BRIDGES. It means creating policies that make it easier for a Nigerian startup to scale operations in Rwanda, or for a Ghanaian cocoa producer to collaborate with a Kenyan packaging company.
It means embracing regional banking integration, as seen with Ecobank and UBA, which now operate in multiple African countries. Cross-border investments like Dangote’s cement factories in Tanzania, Senegal and Ethiopia provide regional stability and job creation. It also means strengthening institutions such as Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which are pioneering innovative ways to reduce dependency on the dollar and encourage intra-African transactions in local currencies.
Human Rights Activists Speak: Reject Xenophobia, Embrace Unity
Modern human rights leaders have been vocal about the need for Africa to unite not divide. Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, former African Union Ambassador to the United States warned, “The colonizers left but their walls remain. Until we remove the mental borders between us, we are not free.”
In the same vein, Kumi Naidoo, former Secretary-General of Amnesty International and ex-Executive Director of Greenpeace International declared:
“Our liberation is incomplete if Africans are still seen as foreigners in Africa. We must fight xenophobia with the same urgency as we fight colonialism. An injury to one African is an injury to all.”
These words are not sentimental they are strategic. Africa will not rise through insular nationalism but through continental solidarity. The struggle of African migrants in Libya, the discrimination faced by Congolese in Angola or the systemic scapegoating of Nigerians in South Africa are not isolated injustices, they are structural cracks in the foundation of African unity.
Borderlessness: A Continental Vision from Nkrumah to the AU
The notion of an open Africa is not new. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president prophetically stated:
“The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa.”
He understood that no African nation can stand alone. It is this Pan-African ideology that inspired regional blocs like ECOWAS, SADC and EAC. Today, their survival depends on how quickly they move from paper protocols to tangible integration.
Take ECOWAS for example, it has already adopted a passport that enables visa-free movement among 15 West African countries. But enforcement remains patchy. Political leaders must now match rhetoric with action; tearing down remaining bureaucratic barriers and harmonizing trade laws.
Currency Stability Through Regional Unity
A stronger African currency system is within reach but only through integration. The West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) has been flirting with a common currency, the ECO for over a decade. Though delayed by inflation targets and political mistrust, the goal remains valid. A unified monetary policy could curb reliance on the dollar, improve trade balance and shield economies from external shocks.
As Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, pointed out:
“Trade is the lifeline of development, but it thrives on trust, infrastructure and policy coherence. Africa needs to invest in all three.”
By building digital and financial bridges; like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS). Africa can conduct trade in LOCAL CURRENCIES and reduce dollar scarcity that weakens exchange rates.
The Youth Factor: A Continental Renaissance Waiting to Happen
Africa has the world’s youngest population with over 60% of its 1.4 billion people under the age of 25. They are more digitally connected, culturally aware and entrepreneurial than any generation before. But their future is suffocated by closed borders, restrictive visa regimes and petty nationalism.
Young Africans don’t want to be labeled “foreigners” for speaking Swahili in Malawi or Yoruba in Ghana. They want a unified digital economy where a developer in Rwanda can work remotely for a fintech firm in Lagos. They want scholarships that don’t discriminate by passport and airlines that fly from Gaborone to Yaoundé without four stopovers in Europe.
Unity or Decline: The Decision Ahead. A Call to Conscience and Strategy
Africa must make a choice…build bridges or perish behind walls. The time has come for African leaders to stop playing to xenophobic fears and start
cultivating a Pan-African vision rooted in mutual respect, open borders, economic integration and shared progress.
Fences may provide temporary political capital, but they offer no solution to poverty, currency collapse or youth unemployment. Only bridges (economic, social and cultural) will carry us across this divide.
Let the words of the late Wangari Maathai, Kenyan Nobel laureate and environmentalist guide our hearts:
“You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them and you help them understand that these resources are their own.”
Likewise, you cannot protect African sovereignty without uniting Africans.
The walls must fall and the bridges must rise.
FRSC@ 38: SHEHU MOHAMMED STEERING NIGERIA’S ROAD SAFETY REVOLUTION TO GREATER HEIGHTS
By Deputy Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem (Rtd) fsi, MNIM, anipr
When Mallam Shehu Mohammed assumed leadership as Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), he inherited not just an institution with history, but a national mandate that touches every family, every highway, and every community in Nigeria. At 38 years, the Corps stands tall as Africa’s model road safety agency, and under his stewardship, that legacy is not merely preserved, it is being boldly redefined.
Nigeria’s highways were once synonymous with fear. Before 1988, the World Health Organisation ranked Nigeria among the most dangerous countries in the world to drive. It was a troubling indictment that demanded courage and clarity of purpose. The establishment of the FRSC under Decree No. 45 of 1988 laid the foundation for reform. But sustaining and advancing that reform across decades requires visionary leadership, the kind now exemplified by Mallam Shehu Mohammed.
Today, under his command, the Corps is consolidating its position as one of the most technologically advanced and operationally efficient law enforcement institutions in Nigeria. With renewed strategic focus, the present leadership has deepened the Safe Systems Approach built on people, processes, and technology, ensuring that safety interventions are not reactive, but preventive and intelligence-driven.
One of the defining hallmarks of his administration is accelerated digital transformation. Within six months, over 3,000 personnel were trained to strengthen operational competence and technological adaptability. More than 95 per cent of the Corps’ administrative and operational processes are automated, supported by over 30 web-based applications that enhance traffic governance nationwide. From the National Crash Reporting Information System (NACRIS) to the upgraded e-ticketing platform, innovation is no longer optional; it is institutional culture.
Emergency response under the current Corps Marshal has become faster and more coordinated, with nationwide response time reduced dramatically from 50 minutes to 15 minutes. The 122 toll-free emergency line and 24-hour National Call Centre continue to serve as lifelines for distressed road users, reflecting a leadership that understands that every second counts.
Strategic stakeholder engagement has equally flourished. Safe corridor initiatives have been strengthened, collaboration with transport unions intensified, and enforcement around articulated vehicles tightened. The result is a significant reduction in tanker-related crashes, a development that speaks to deliberate policy direction and disciplined implementation.
Under Mallam Shehu Mohammed’s leadership, data has become a central pillar of enforcement and planning. Through strengthened collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission, the National Bureau of Statistics, and the Nigeria Customs Service, the Corps has advanced harmonized data systems that support evidence-based interventions. Transparent weekly crash trend reporting now guides targeted deployment and corrective strategies.
Nigeria’s standing on the global stage has also been reinforced. The country remains an active participant in the renewed UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030) and continues alignment with international road safety conventions. These achievements build on the solid foundation laid by past leaders from Olu Agunloye and General Haladu Hannaniya to Chief Osita Chidoka, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, and Dauda Ali Biu, but under the present Corps Marshal, the momentum has unmistakably intensified.
Operationally, the Corps’ footprint now spans 12 Zonal Commands, 37 Sector Commands, over 300 Unit Commands, over 700 Station Offices, 59 Zebra Emergency Ambulance Points, and presence in all 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria. Yet beyond physical structures lies a stronger institutional spirit, one driven by discipline, professionalism, and accountability.
From a nation once ranked among the most unsafe for motorists to a continental pacesetter in road safety management, Nigeria’s transformation story is inseparable from the strength of its leadership. At 38 years, FRSC is not simply celebrating longevity; it is celebrating purposeful stewardship.
Mallam Shehu Mohammed represents a generation of reform-minded leadership committed to smarter mobility systems, data-driven enforcement, and people-centered safety administration.
His tenure reflects continuity with courage sustaining the Corps’ proud legacy while boldly steering it toward greater innovation and measurable impact.
The road ahead is demanding. But under his steady command, Nigeria’s highways are safer, its systems smarter, and its future brighter.
Fashion/Lifestyle
Introducing “Atupaglowco” : Where Fragrance Meets Feeling; The Story of Our Beginning
Introducing “Atupaglowco”: Where Fragrance Meets Feeling; The Story of Our Beginning
Every great journey begins with a sense of anticipation. For us, it began with a simple belief that a space should do more than exist, it should speak comfort and glow.
In a world filled with noise, stress, and endless motion, we realized something powerful. Fragrance can transform not just rooms, but moods. A familiar scent can calm anxiety. A warm aroma can turn a house into a home. A gentle glow can bring peace after a long day. This realization gave birth to “Atupaglowco.”
Atupaglowco was not created to sell diffusers, room sprays, or candles. It was created to create experiences. To create moments. To create atmospheres where people can breathe, reflect, and feel whole again.
The name itself represents more than a brand. It represents warmth. It represents light. It represents presence. We remember the early days, the planning, the testing of scents, the moments of doubt, and the moments of excitement. Each candle poured was a step of faith. Each fragrance blended was a piece of our vision coming to life. We weren’t just building products; we were building something meaningful.
Our diffusers were designed to quietly fill spaces with elegance.
Our room sprays were crafted to instantly refresh and revive environments. Our candles were made to bring calm, beauty, and a soft glow into everyday life.
Atupaglowco was born from passion, patience, and purpose. This launch is not just the start of a business. It is the start of a movement to help people create spaces they love. Spaces that inspire rest. Spaces that inspire joy. Spaces that glow.
We believe fragrance is personal. We believe glow is emotional. We believe every space deserves both.
Today, we proudly introduce Atupaglowco to the world.
This is only the beginning.
Ajadi Hails Oyo Speaker Ogundoyin at 39, Describes Him as Beacon of Purposeful Leadership
A leading governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has congratulated the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Edward Ogundoyin, on the occasion of his 39th birthday, describing him as “a symbol of resilience, maturity and purposeful leadership in Nigeria’s democratic journey.”
In a congratulatory message made available to journalists on Tuesday, Ajadi praised Ogundoyin’s steady rise in public service, noting that his emergence as Speaker at a relatively young age reflects the possibilities of responsible youth leadership when combined with discipline, vision and service.
“Rt. Hon. Ogundoyin’s leadership has shown that age is not a barrier to excellence,” Ajadi said. “At 39, he stands tall as one of the most impactful Speakers in Oyo State’s history—calm, inclusive and deeply committed to democratic ideals.”
Ogundoyin, who represents Ibarapa East State Constituency under the Peoples Democratic Party, has served as Speaker since 2019 and was re-elected to lead the 10th Assembly in June 2023. His tenure has been marked by legislative stability, improved executive–legislative relations and youth-inclusive governance.
Ajadi commended the Speaker for fostering unity within the Assembly and prioritising laws that strengthen grassroots development across Oyo State. “His humility, accessibility and focus on people-oriented legislation have earned him respect beyond party lines,” he said. “He exemplifies the kind of leadership Oyo State needs—one anchored on service, accountability and progress.”
The governorship aspirant further described Ogundoyin as a rallying point for young Nigerians aspiring to public office. “In a country searching for credible leaders, Ogundoyin’s story offers hope,” Ajadi added. “He has shown that when young leaders are trusted with responsibility, they can deliver stability and results.”
Ajadi wished the Speaker many more years of good health, wisdom and greater service to Oyo State and Nigeria at large, praying that his leadership journey continues to inspire a new generation of public servants.
Ogundoyin, one of the youngest Speakers in Nigeria, has continued to attract goodwill messages from political leaders, civil society actors and constituents, as Oyo State marks another year in the life of a lawmaker widely regarded as a steady hand in the state’s legislative affairs.
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