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.
society
Liberian Leaders, Citizens Bear Witness as Apostle Suleman Hosts Two-Day Power-Packed Crusade
Liberian Leaders, Citizens Bear Witness as Apostle Suleman Hosts Two-Day Power-Packed Crusade
It was testimonies galore on Tuesday, March 31, the first day of the famous servant of God and founder of the Omega Fire Ministries (OFM) worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman’s power-packed two-day crusade. The event documented impactful moments with the Gospel and miracles, emphasizing the power of faith and the tangible confirmation of God’s Word through signs and wonders. It was equally an atmosphere of miraculous healing, restoration of lives, and the strengthening of faith.
At the crusade, which was held at the SKD Sports Stadium in Paynesville City, and themed, “Liberia Outpouring Crusade” witnessed testimonies of impact and miracles with participants experiencing instant healing of various kinds of challenges.
Apostle Suleman’s first port of call was Paynesville, the office of Liberian government’s president, Mr. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, who received him in an audience with his junior ministers. Apostle Suleman, who also met with the vice-president, Mr. Jeremiah Kpan Koung, was welcomed by the Liberian leader’s office as part of the president’s ongoing engagements with religious leaders aimed at fostering spiritual support for national development.
The president expressed profound appreciation to Apostle Suleman for the visit and continued prayers and intercessions by men and women of God on behalf of Liberia, emphasizing his firm belief that sustained spiritual guidance and prayer remain vital to the transformation and progress of the nation.
During the visit, Apostle Suleman offered prayers for President Boakai, his cabinet and the Liberian nation, invoking divine alignment, wisdom, and insight in Liberia’s path toward growth and stability. He prayed that the Almighty God would position Liberia for relevance and fulfillment of its national destiny.
Apostle Johnson Suleman, an evangelist who knows no bounds of where preaching the gospel comes to a stop, visited Liberia prepared with the message, compelling power of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit, and bringing people to a point of decision where they surrendered their lives to Christ.
Aside from being prophetic and timely, OFM sources disclosed that the servant of God’s visit underscores the importance of faith-based partnerships in supporting governance and national renewal efforts.
society
Middle Belt Forum Hails Tinubu’s Jos Visit, Calls for United Civil-Military Effort to Restore Lasting Peace
*Middle Belt Forum Hails Tinubu’s Jos Visit, Calls for United Civil-Military Effort to Restore Lasting Peace
The Middle Belt Peace Forum (MBPF) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his profound demonstration of empathy and responsive leadership following his decision to postpone an official engagement in Iperu in order to visit victims of the recent attacks in Jos.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Pastor Bulus Garba, in Jos on Friday, the Forum said the President’s decision to personally identify with grieving communities sends a powerful message of solidarity and reinforces public confidence in the commitment of the Federal Government to the protection of lives and property.
“The Middle Belt Peace Forum warmly commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritising compassion over ceremony. At a time of deep sorrow for the people of Plateau State, his decision to visit Jos stands as a mark of true leadership—one that listens, responds, and stands with the people in their moment of pain,” the statement read.
The Forum described the perpetrators of the recent attacks as “cowards who prey on innocent and defenceless citizens,” stressing that such acts of violence are not only inhumane but also a direct assault on the unity and peace of the nation.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the actions of these cowardly attackers whose only aim is to instil fear and destabilise peaceful communities. Their actions must be met with firm and decisive resistance from all arms of the state,” Pastor Garba said.
The MBPF further used the opportunity to salute the courage, gallantry, and sacrifices of the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, noting that their continued efforts remain central to restoring stability across troubled parts of the country.
According to the Forum, the Armed Forces have demonstrated resilience and professionalism in the face of complex security challenges, often operating under difficult conditions to safeguard communities and defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
“We salute the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their unwavering commitment and sacrifices. Their gallantry in confronting criminal elements and reclaiming territories is a testament to their dedication to national service. We recognise that the path to peace is demanding, and we honour those who stand daily in defence of our nation,” the statement added.
The Forum pledged its full support to ongoing military operations and called for strengthened collaboration between security agencies and local communities as a critical factor in achieving lasting peace.
It also urged citizens across the Middle Belt to cooperate with security forces by providing timely information and fostering unity within their communities.
The MBPF, however, expressed concern over the need for greater synergy among security agencies, particularly the role of the Nigeria Police in consolidating gains made by the military.
“We call on the Nigeria Police Force to rise fully to its constitutional responsibility by effectively supporting the Armed Forces in stabilising and securing areas that have been cleared of criminal elements. Holding and policing such territories is essential to preventing a resurgence of violence,” Pastor Garba stated.
The Forum emphasised that sustainable peace requires a coordinated approach in which the military clears and secures areas, while the police maintain law and order to enable displaced communities to return and rebuild their lives.
The MBPF concluded by reiterating its commitment to peacebuilding efforts across the Middle Belt and expressed optimism that with sustained leadership, coordinated security efforts, and active citizen participation, lasting peace can be achieved.
“Together, through unity, vigilance, and collective resolve, we can overcome these challenges and build a safer and more peaceful Middle Belt,” the statement added.
Governor Dauda Lawal Wins Face of Africa Governor of the Year Award in London
Governor Dauda Lawal has been honored with the Outstanding Governor of the Year award by Triangle Media International Magazine.
The award was presented during the magazine’s 10th annual lecture and award ceremony, held on Thursday at the Grand Hall of King’s College, London, United Kingdom.
According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the awards recognize public and private sector leaders whose leadership positively impacts governance and service delivery.
He added that the lecture, themed “Harnessing the Roles of Nigerians in Diaspora for National Development,” brought together stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.
The statement read in part: “Yesterday, in London, Governor Dauda Lawal received the 2026 Face of Africa Leadership Award for Outstanding Governor of the Year.
“The 2026 edition coincides with the 10th anniversary of Triangle International Magazine, which has over the years celebrated notable Africans across diverse fields.
“The award recognizes the Zamfara State Government under Governor Lawal’s leadership for achieving remarkable milestones in service delivery since his inauguration on 29 May 2023.
“The board of Triangle International noted that, despite inheriting an empty treasury, Governor Dauda Lawal has remained true to the Rescue Agenda’s campaign promise: to rescue and rebuild Zamfara.
“The award also reflects the state government’s innovative approach to indirectly curbing insecurity through educational advancement, demonstrated by the declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector.
“This includes the state government’s swift payment of the outstanding N3.4 billion for WAEC and NECO examinations, as well as the reconstruction and rehabilitation of schools across all 14 Local Government Areas of Zamfara State.
“The international magazine finds these initiatives to be strategic interventions toward long-term efforts to make Zamfara State better.”
The colourful event was attended by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and Sahara Group’s Group Managing Director, Kola Adesina, among others.
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