By Ahmad Sajoh, fnipr
Like so many Nigerians around the world I waited for the address of my president at the UNGA 2023 with a lot of expectations. In Nigeria the time was a little bit inconvenient coming up past midnight. But patriotism made it necessary to wait and I waited. It was not President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first high profile international outing but it was the first time he will address the world at the highest diplomatic arena. My expectations heightened when I noticed that other world leaders where focussing on some form of shared agendas. So I waited and the waiting paid off.
For a very long time Nigeria has adopted this concept of Africa as the center piece of our foreign policy. However, most times when our leaders speak they do not promote African issues as forcefully as required. In fact there are times when the addresses by our leaders become befuddled by the attempts to satisfy western interests or the demands of a bi-polar world. Oftentimes petty quarrels of European nations or their leaders and their positions on world affairs become the real issues most African nations focus on during their addresses at the United Nations. But this year was different for Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu set a very appropriate tune for Africa while setting up a unique Pan-Africanist agenda for all Africans.
Right from the onset immediately after the usual diplomatic niceties the president informed the gathering that he was speaking ” *on behalf of Nigeria, on behalf of Africa*” so direct and so straight to the point. That was to set an appropriate tone for his Pan-Africanist speach throughout the address. In one of the most honest attempt to situate African problems where they lie, President Tinubu aknowledged that failure of governance has been a bane on the African continent. But that was not the only reason for Africa’s troubles. He identified other causes of African woes as broken promises, unfair treatment and outright exploitation from abroad. It was a very poignant statement addressing the issues bedeviling Africa by a true son of Africa. No beating around the bush or coating of the situation in diplomatic niceties.
Pushing on with his Pan-Africanist agenda, the Nigerian president said ” *if this year’s theme is to mean anything, it must mean something special and particular for Africa* ” and what is that theme? ” *Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity solidarity”* Going by President Tinubu’s forceful addressing of the African agenda, it will surely be apparent that it’s not possible to rebuild trust in a one sided world where African interests are considered subordinate to the interests of other parts of the world. Global solidarity means everyone is captured in the social safety nets of the world order. Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity for Africa must translate to ending all forms of broken promises and unfair treatment of African nations and peoples. It must mean that the exploitation of African natural resources must provide greater benefits to African nations and peoples. That is exactly the Pan-Africanist agenda for the today, and that is the agenda put on table by the Nigerian president.
While aknowledging that the conditions that necessitated the Marshall plan in Europe at the end of the second world war may not be same with the conditions in Africa today, the situations are similar. There is a greater danger in a world that is taking a leap to prosperity to a high level while Africa appears to be chained at the same spot. Something similar to the Marshall plan needs to be put in place to leapfrog Africa to meet up with the world. President Tinubu captured the situation in the following words ” *We are not asking for identical programmes and actions. What we seek is an equally firm commitment to partnership”* A strong voice making a case for Africa in a dignified manner. As Africans we are not asking for handouts or some for form of baby seating by the rich nations. We are asking for partnerships. We are asking for shared prosperity. Our crude oil, our gold, our uranium, our diamonds, our forest resources and all of our resources should be exploited for our mutual benefits. The world can use them to advance, but Africa too should advance. In the words of president Tinubu *”We seek enhanced international cooperation with African nations to achieve the 2030 agenda and Sustainable Development Goals”*
One thing that has become the Hallmark of the Tinubu presidency is the concept of providing timelines to pronouncements. Even at the International level and while setting a Pan-Africanist agenda, it did not escape the president to set a timeline for the world to consider. And in doing that he called on global institutions, other nations and even the private sector players to see African Development as a priority not just for Africa but for the whole world. Even within the context of diplomatic considerations, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was able to point out that some persons may not be very comfortable seeing Nigeria and indeed Africa play larger roles within the global arena. But he believes it is in the interest of world stability for Nigeria and Africa to assume greater roles in world affairs. In what was a reference to Military take over of governments on the continent, President Tinubu situated it within the context of anger due to perennial problems confronting African nations rather than a preference for military rule. It therefore justifies his call for partnerships that creates shared prosperity.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu spoke on insecurity in Africa. He was firm and direct in looking at the conflicts in Africa as being products of unbridled flow of arms into the region, influx of extremist terror groups looking for spheres of influence and the dark channel if human trafficking bedeviling the continent. In this unfortunate commercial activity the president opined that men, women and children had become products for sale or exchange. The president established a very convincing nexus between the human trafficking activities on the continent with the instability occassoned by armed conflicts. The president was also not unmindful of the connection between the exploitation of Africa’s rich mineral resources with the conflicts on the continent. He made a direct appeal to the world in the following words. ” *The fourth important aspect of global trust and solidarity is to secure the continent’s mineral reach areas from pilfering and conflict. Many such areas have become catacombs of misery and exploitation”* Speaking like a true son of Africa with a sense of history, the president related how these activities have fueled conflicts and instability in Africa over the years. The case of DR Congo has been a perennial one from history. In other parts of Africa including Nigeria, illegal mining of vital minerals have increased poverty in African nations and fueled the illegal flow of arms into the continent. These are issues that a genuine African agenda should address. Looking at the high stakes involved and pervasiveness of the phenomenon, President Tinubu asked a very pertinent question, ” *is it by accident or design?”*
Two issues that attracted the president’s attention were the tragedies in other African countries and climate change. The president pointedly sympathized with the governments and peoples of Libya and Morocco over the losses encountered as a result of flooding and an earthquake. Rather than spend precious words lamenting the avoidable conflicts in other continents and around the world, the president choose to commiserate with our brother Africans. On the climate change matter president Tinubu said ” *African nations will fight climate change but must do so on our own terms”** What are those terms? They should be anchored around building consensus on the economic pathways that ensures a shared prosperity for the world especially for Africa. His concluding statements were really instructive. For too long African commentators and scholars will celebrate some of these statements. The president was of the view that Africa desires neither to be treated as an appendage to the rich nations of the world nor seeking patronage from any of them. Rather Africa seeks a freedom to overcome both current and historical encumbrances to progress and development. According to the President, Africa desires *a prosperous, vibrant democratic living space for our people* “. All true Africans are with the President on this mission of ensuring a prosperous continent that works for the people of the Africa. We truly need a partnership that is anchored on creating a shared prosperity for all peoples of the world.
The address by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 2023 United Nations General Assembly was indeed a wake up call for an African renaissance by a true son of Africa. It really set a new Agenda for the African continent. It is an agenda that the world should embrace if the theme of “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity” is to have any meaning. Perhaps this is why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ended his address with this iconic statement *”Africa is not problem to be avoided nor is it to be pitied. Africa is nothing less than the key to the world’s future”* May Africa truly become the beacon of global prosperity as set out in the Tinubu Pan-Africanist agenda.
*_Ahmad Sajoh, fnipr writes from 35 Oran Street off Olusegun Obasanjo Way Wuse Zone 1 Abuja._*
