Nigeria must remove visa barriers for Africans — Lumumba

Renowned Kenyan scholar and Pan-Africanist Professor Patrick Lumumba has called on Nigeria to dismantle visa restrictions hindering the movement of Africans across the continent. Speaking at the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit in Asaba, Lumumba argued that these barriers undermine regional integration and the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

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Your Excellency, the Vice President, Nigeria is the largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa. I look forward to the day when an investor from Ethiopia can board a plane and arrive in Asaba without visas, landing cards or exit cards. I look forward to the day when there will be no visa requirements for an African coming into this country.

"Nigeria is the largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa. I look forward to the day when an investor from Ethiopia can board a plane and arrive in Asaba without visas, landing cards or exit cards," Lumumba stated. He drew a parallel with Europe, where movement between countries is relatively seamless, contrasting it with the unnecessary difficulties Africans face when traveling between nations. "We cannot build a competitive economy while remaining so fragmented," he added.

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Today, you can move from Slovakia to Portugal using the same currency and with minimal restrictions. But here in Africa, moving from one country to another remains unnecessarily difficult. We cannot build a competitive economy while remaining so fragmented.

Lumumba also challenged the notion that Africa's development must rely heavily on foreign capital. He urged Africans to believe in their own capacity to invest in and develop their continent. "Africans must begin to believe that they possess both the intellectual capacity and the financial resources needed to develop their own continent," he asserted, encouraging more intra-African investment.

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When we think about investment, we still imagine that our investors must come from Malaysia, Brazil or China. That is not the case. The next time this summit is held, I want to see Kenyans here, Ghanaians here, Ethiopians here, Moroccans here and Egyptians here. Africans must begin to believe that they possess both the intellectual capacity and the financial resources needed to develop their own continent.

Furthermore, the scholar advised Delta State to learn from Norway's model of managing petroleum wealth. He commended the state for identifying its economic strengths but stressed the importance of converting oil wealth into long-term prosperity through prudent investment, rather than mere dependence on crude oil revenue. "The issue is not simply producing oil; the issue is whether you are using those resources wisely," Lumumba concluded, urging against complacency.

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The Governor has reminded us of what Norway has done with its petroleum resources. Today, Norway has built one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds. The question for Delta State is simple: Can you do the same? The issue is not simply producing oil; the issue is whether you are using those resources wisely.