Founder of the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement, Kayode Fayemi, has called on African leaders to pursue institutional renewal, visionary leadership and continental solidarity as pathways to achieving genuine sovereignty and sustainable development across the continent.
Delivering the 16th Thabo Mbeki Africa Day Lecture in Cape Town on Friday, Fayemi warned that Africa risked remaining vulnerable to external manipulation and internal instability if governments failed to strengthen democratic institutions and rebuild public trust.
Speaking on the theme, “Advancing African Unity: Sovereignty, Solidarity and the Renewal of Institutions,” Fayemi said Africa was at a defining historical crossroads marked by both immense opportunities and deep governance challenges.
“Africa stands today at a defining historical crossroads,” he said.
“Across our continent, one senses simultaneously the weight of history and the urgency of the future.”
Fayemi described Africa as a continent of “extraordinary paradoxes,” noting that while the continent possesses enormous demographic strength, entrepreneurial energy and strategic global relevance, many countries continue to grapple with insecurity, poverty, inequality and weak democratic governance.
“This is the paradox of contemporary Africa, allegedly politically independent, yet often economically constrained, globally relevant, yet internally fragmented, resource-rich, yet bedevilled with poor leadership and institutionally vulnerable,” he stated.
The former governor argued that sovereignty in the 21st century must go beyond political independence and territorial control, stressing that true sovereignty is measured by state capacity and economic self-reliance.
“True sovereignty is the ability of nations to make independent developmental and governance choices,” Fayemi said.
“It is the capacity to feed one’s population, secure one’s borders, manage one’s natural resources responsibly, educate one’s citizens, industrialise strategically and negotiate internationally from a position of confidence.”
Referencing Africa’s strategic importance in the global green transition, Fayemi said the continent’s vast mineral resources positioned it at the centre of the emerging world economy.
“In short, the world cannot go green without first going African!” he declared.
However, he warned that Africa must avoid remaining merely a supplier of raw materials to industrial powers.
“Will Africa once again remain merely a source of raw materials for external industrial powers?” he asked.
“Will we continue to export wealth while importing poverty and dependency?”
Fayemi advocated stronger regional integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area, describing it as a strategic instrument for transformation rather than merely a trade agreement.
“The future of African sovereignty lies not in isolation, but in deliberate integration,” he said.
“A prosperous and sovereign Africa will be built through interconnected economies, shared infrastructure, coordinated industrial policy and strategic regional cooperation.”
On the state of democracy across Africa, Fayemi criticised the resurgence of military coups on the continent, particularly in the Sahel region, while insisting that constitutional governance must remain the foundation of legitimate leadership.
“Military intervention cannot become a durable and legitimate substitute for democratic accountability,” he said.
He, however, argued that democratic breakdowns were often symptoms of deeper governance failures.
“In this sense, military intervention is often not the disease itself, but a symptom of deeper institutional crises,” Fayemi stated.
“The real danger confronting many African democracies today is the erosion of public trust.”
The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development also decried weak institutions and personality-driven governance systems across the continent, warning that development could not be sustained without strong institutions and visionary leadership.
“No nation can build prosperity on improvisation,” he said.
“Development requires leadership vision and institutional continuity.”
He added: “Policies without institutions eventually collapse. No nation develops through slogans alone; nations develop through systems.”
Fayemi further called for ethical leadership rooted in accountability, restraint and national interest.
“Africa needs leaders who understand that power is temporary, but institutions are enduring,” he said.
“We need leaders prepared to build systems that outlive their tenure in office.”
Addressing the issue of xenophobia and Afrophobia in parts of Africa, including South Africa, Fayemi reminded Africans of the shared sacrifices made during the anti-apartheid struggle.
“South Africa’s liberation was not won by South Africans alone,” he said.
“Nigeria, among many others, stood firmly in support of South Africa’s liberation. But this was not charity. It was solidarity.”
He warned that violence against fellow Africans undermined the ideals of Pan-Africanism and continental integration.
“Afrophobia is not merely a law enforcement issue or a question of migration policy,” he said.
“It represents a crisis of continental consciousness.”
On youth participation and democracy, Fayemi described Africa’s growing youth population as both an opportunity and a challenge, warning that exclusion and unemployment could fuel instability.
“Young Africans today are demanding far more than ritualistic democracy or ceremonial politics,” he said.
“They are demanding accountable governance, economic opportunity, dignity, transparency and institutions that function fairly.”
Referencing movements such as EndSARS protests, Fayemi said African youth were increasingly asserting themselves as active political actors.
“This development should not be feared,” he said.
“Rather it should be welcomed and understood as evidence of democratic maturation.”
On climate change, Fayemi argued that Africa must pursue industrialisation while demanding climate justice from the international community.
“Africa contributes the least to global carbon emissions yet suffers disproportionately from climate vulnerability,” he noted.
“Climate justice requires fairness. Africa must industrialise, expand energy access and modernise infrastructure.”
As he concluded the lecture, Fayemi urged African leaders and citizens to embrace a renewed Pan-African vision anchored on solidarity, capable institutions and accountable governance.
“The central lesson of our time is clear: sovereignty without visionary leadership and institutional capacity is fragile, unity without solidarity is hollow and development without accountable governance is unsustainable,” he said.
He added: “Africa’s future will not be determined by the limitations of our past, but by the quality of the choices we make in this moment.”
Calling for a new African renaissance, Fayemi declared: “The choice is ours to make. So, let us be the catalyst for the achievement of the African Renaissance.”
Boluwatife Enome
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