Osita Oparaugo, a Nigerian lawyer and technology entrepreneur, has urged African leaders to shift their focus from seeking greater recognition on the global stage to building the economic strength and political unity needed to influence international decisions.
Reacting to renewed calls for African representation on the United Nations Security Council and a stronger continental voice at the recently concluded United Nations General Assembly, Oparaugo argued that the continent’s influence would remain limited unless its 54 countries found ways to organise their collective resources, markets and political interests.
“How can 54 nations demand that the world recognise their collective power when they have failed to organise that power collectively?” he asked.
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Oparaugo said Africa had the natural resources, population, markets and human capital to become a major force in the global economy, but political fragmentation, restrictive borders and weak intra-African trade continued to limit its ability to negotiate from a position of strength.
“Stop begging the world for recognition. Develop your God-given potential, organise yourselves, build your collective strength, and the world will come to you,” he said.
Economic strength must underpin diplomatic influence
Oparaugo questioned whether repeated appeals for reform of the UN Security Council, reparations and greater representation could deliver meaningful results without corresponding efforts to strengthen African economies.
He argued that diplomatic declarations alone would not change the continent’s position in global affairs unless African countries developed the industries, infrastructure and economic capacity to support their demands.
“Stop measuring African power by the number of speeches delivered at the United Nations. If you want the world to listen, build something the world can’t ignore. Africa does not need permission to become powerful,” he said.
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Drawing comparisons with China’s economic transformation, Oparaugo pointed to its investments in manufacturing, infrastructure, technology and domestic industrial capacity as factors behind its emergence as a major global economic power.
He urged African governments to pursue similar investments, develop continental supply chains and build industries capable of processing the continent’s resources locally.
End dependence on raw material exports
The GetBundi Education Technology founder also called for a change in Africa’s approach to foreign investment, particularly in sectors built around the extraction of natural resources.
He criticised the practice of exporting raw materials and importing finished products made from those same resources, arguing that it deprives African economies of industrial opportunities, jobs and a greater share of the value generated from their natural wealth.
“Why should Africa export lithium and import batteries? Why should we export crude oil and import refined petroleum products? Why should we export cocoa and import chocolate?” he asked.
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He proposed that governments make local processing, employment and technology transfer central considerations in agreements with foreign investors. Tax incentives, he added, could encourage companies to establish processing plants, manufacturing facilities and technology operations within African countries.
“Africa must stop exporting its wealth and importing its value,” he said.
Free movement critical to continental integration
Oparaugo also identified restrictions on the movement of people, goods, services and capital as major obstacles to Africa’s economic integration.
He called for faster implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), stronger cross-border payment systems, interconnected infrastructure and greater freedom of movement for African citizens.
“Africa must make it easier for Africans to do business with Africans. Free movement cannot remain merely a slogan, and the African Continental Free Trade Area cannot remain merely an agreement on paper,” he said.
A more integrated market, he argued, would give African businesses access to a larger customer base, encourage investment and improve the continent’s negotiating position in international trade.
Africa’s young population needs investment
Beyond its natural resources, Oparaugo identified Africa’s youthful population as a major source of economic potential, particularly as digital industries and emerging technologies create new opportunities.
He noted that young Africans were already contributing to the global economy through software development, entrepreneurship and the creative industries. However, he warned that this potential would remain constrained without sustained investment in education, digital skills, technology and infrastructure.
He called on governments to place human capital development alongside industrialisation as a priority, arguing that the continent’s ability to compete globally would depend partly on how effectively it equips its young population for productive work.
An Africa-first approach to global affairs
Oparaugo urged African governments to adopt what he described as an “Africa First” approach to diplomacy and economic development.
He said this should not mean abandoning national sovereignty or individual countries’ interests, but recognising that challenges involving trade, energy, food security, technology, climate change and migration require greater continental cooperation.
“Not Nigeria first. Not Ghana first. Not Kenya first. Not South Africa first. Not Egypt first. Not Morocco first. Africa first,” he said.
He argued that a politically coordinated and economically integrated continent would have greater influence in international negotiations than countries pursuing their interests separately.
“If Africa collectively decides that its natural resources must increasingly be processed on African soil, the global economy will have to respond. If Africa insists on technology transfer, local manufacturing and job creation, investors will negotiate differently,” he said.
Oparaugo concluded that Africa’s challenge was not simply to secure a stronger voice in international institutions, but to build the economic institutions, industries and infrastructure that would make its participation more consequential.
“If Africa becomes economically integrated, politically coordinated and commercially powerful, the question will no longer be, ‘Will the world recognise Africa?’ The question will become, ‘How can the world afford not to engage Africa?’”
“Unite yourselves before you ask the world to unite with you. Africa first, and the world will listen,” he said.
Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.
