…Says Africa Must Rise Beyond Aid to Reclaim Self-Reliance and Global Relevance
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), His Excellency Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has called for a fundamental reimagination of Africa’s leadership and investment framework, warning that the continent’s future depends on the courage of its leaders to act decisively and invest strategically in its people and infrastructure.
Wike made the call on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Innovate Africa Conference held at the ECOWAS Conference Hall in Abuja, where he was also conferred with the Innovate Africa Leadership Award 2025.
The former Rivers State Governor described the honour as a tribute to the “resilient people of Nigeria” and to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he credited for providing “the bold vision for renewal” that has redefined governance and infrastructural transformation in Abuja.
“This honour belongs not to me alone, but to the resilient people of Nigeria, and especially to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose bold vision for renewal has given me the platform to contribute to our nation’s transformation,” Wike said.
He thanked Innovate Africa Corporation for recognizing leadership grounded in accountability and purpose, noting that such recognition “serves as a soothing balm in an age where leadership is often viewed through partisan lenses.”
Africa at a Crossroads
Reflecting on the state of the continent, Wike said Africa stands “at a historic crossroads,” rich in natural resources and youthful energy but weighed down by weak institutions, unemployment, and leadership failures.
“This is the paradox of our age: how can a continent so richly blessed remain so constrained? How can such abundance coexist with scarcity, such youthful energy be stifled by joblessness?” he queried.
According to him, leadership remains the decisive factor shaping Africa’s destiny. “When leadership is visionary, accountable, and courageous, even the most daunting obstacles can be transformed into opportunities,” he said.
He lamented Africa’s continued dependence on the export of raw materials and importation of finished goods, describing the trend as “unhealthy and unsustainable for development.”
“Africa Needs Transformational, Not Transactional Leadership”
Wike urged African nations to move away from “transactional leadership driven by personal gain” toward transformational leadership rooted in vision, service, and accountability.
“Leadership must not exploit, but empower; it must not rule, but serve; it must not merely transact, but transform,” he declared.
Quoting leadership experts Harry Gordon Selfridge and John C. Maxwell, Wike drew a distinction between bosses and leaders:
“A boss drives his team; a leader guides them. A boss inspires fear; a leader inspires enthusiasm. A boss says, ‘I’; a leader says, ‘We.’ True leadership is not about power or position, but about inspiring and journeying with those you lead.”
He emphasized that Africa’s transformation depends on servant-leaders who “see themselves as mentors, not masters,” and who act with moral courage to make hard decisions.
Tinubu’s Reforms as Example of Courageous Leadership
Highlighting Nigeria’s reform efforts, Wike praised President Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy as a “difficult but necessary decision” that has begun to yield long-term benefits for states and local governments.
“While previous administrations acknowledged its dangers, none dared to act. Tinubu did, understanding the cost but believing in the long-term gain,” he said.
He also commended Tinubu’s decentralization initiatives and security reforms, including the recruitment of forest guards and empowerment of zonal commissions, describing them as “bold steps toward stability and genuine federalism.”
However, Wike cautioned that no leader can succeed without the cooperation of the people, urging Africans to emulate the unity of purpose that powered Dubai’s transformation.
“History teaches us that no nation progresses without synergy between its leadership and followership,” he said. “If Africa can reimagine leadership that builds, not blames, and empowers rather than dominates, no mountain will be too high to climb.”
Rethinking Investment and Economic Independence
Turning to Africa’s economic future, Wike argued that the continent must “rise beyond the rhetoric of aid and dependency” to embrace self-reliance through innovation and internal investment.
“Development cannot be donated; it must be built. No nation has ever achieved greatness through the benevolence of others,” he stressed.
He maintained that Africa’s future lies not in foreign grants but in “ideas, innovation, and indigenous strength.”
Wike underscored the need for productive and inclusive investment that focuses on infrastructure, education, digital technology, agriculture, and youth empowerment.
“Seventy percent of Africa’s population is under 30. This is not a statistic; it is a revolution waiting to happen,” he said. “Our duty as leaders is to remove barriers and trust the brilliance of our youth.”
He added that infrastructure should be seen not as “concrete and steel” but as the backbone of opportunity — connecting farmers to markets, students to schools, and innovators to investors.
AfCFTA and the Promise of a New Africa
Recalling the 1980 Lagos Plan of Action, Wike said Africa’s current revival is being rekindled through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which he described as “the modern reawakening of Africa’s economic self-reliance.”
“The AfCFTA is not just a trade agreement; it is a declaration that Africa will no longer accept being a supplier of raw materials and a dumping ground for finished goods,” he asserted.
He called the AfCFTA Africa’s “second liberation — the liberation of its economy.”
“Through regional integration, Africa can finally replace aid with trade, and dependency with dignity,” Wike said.
“The Future Will Be Written by African Hands”
Concluding his address, Wike urged African leaders to act boldly and reject complacency.
“Africa’s future will not be given to us. We must build it — and we must build it now,” he declared.
He envisioned a continent where leadership is rooted in service, investment fuels inclusive growth, and youth and women drive innovation.
“The question before us is not whether Africa can rise, but whether we possess the courage to lead, the wisdom to invest, and the will to unite,” he said.
“History will not remember what we merely dreamed for Africa; it will remember what we did for Africa.”
Wike concluded by calling for transformational action over rhetoric, adding:
“The time is now. The place is here. The responsibility is ours. And the future, unambiguously, belongs to Africa.”
