Professor Edmund Ugwu Agbo, a leading African scholar and Chief Organizer of African Week 2025, has said that Western powers are keeping Africa poor and dependent through modern neocolonial tactics and by supporting weak leaders across the continent.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of African Week in Abuja, Agbo, who is also a Professor of Law at the United Nations University for Peace, said Africa is still being controlled—not through direct colonization, but through debt, manipulation, and foreign policies.
“We are in a worse kind of colonization,” he said. “It is not about land anymore—it is about control through the IMF, the World Bank, and bad leadership.”
According to him, many African leaders are either unqualified or supported by foreign powers so they can easily be influenced.
“They pick leaders who are too weak to stand up for Africa. That way, they keep the whole continent weak,” he said.
He warned that Africa cannot grow unless it breaks away from systems imposed by outsiders.
“We need to define our own democracy. We should stop copying systems that don’t work for us.”
Using examples like Libya and Burkina Faso, he said foreign interference often leads to chaos in African countries.
“Gaddafi’s Libya was stable. After he was removed with the help of foreign powers, the country fell into disorder,” he explained.
Professor Agbo also said the colonial-style education in Africa is outdated and was designed to keep Africans from thinking independently.
“We were trained to serve, not to lead,” he said. “But now, with access to the internet and new tools, young Africans can free their minds.”
The 2025 African Week theme is “African-European and Africa-Asia Cooperation for a Shared Future”, matching the African Union’s focus on “Justice for Africa and People of African Descent Through Reparation.” Agbo said true reparation must begin with rebuilding African pride and self-respect.
“We were not just robbed of resources—we were robbed of our identity and humanity,” he said. “Reparation must include mental healing.”
African Week, which started as a UNESCO project, is now a global celebration. This year’s events are taking place in Abuja, Rome, Bitonto, Hungary, Bulgaria, and the U.S. Agbo said they are working to bring future editions back to the African continent.
“Africa must stop waiting for help. We must take charge of our own future,” he said. “The time has come for Africans to rise and lead their own destiny.”
