By Fatima Ndagi
Chairman of Nigeria’s House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Hon. Ahmed Satomi, says Africa must break free from the chains of foreign dependence and start building its own future—boldly, urgently, and together.
Speaking at the gala night of the 8th Conference of the Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees in Abuja, Satomi, who was also elected President of the Network, called on African leaders to stop relying on the West for survival.
“It’s time to delete the idea that we cannot survive without Europe or America. Africa is not poor—we’ve just been misled.”
He urged African nations to unite behind a single vision: peace, security, industrial development, and economic independence.
“We must take our destiny in our own hands. No one will build Africa for us.”
Satomi highlighted the paradox of Africa’s rich resources and poor governance. With 12 million youths entering the job market each year but only 3 million formal jobs available, he said the stakes had never been higher.
“That’s not just a crisis—it’s a ticking time bomb. But it’s also our opportunity. Our youth are not a burden. They are our greatest resource.”
Satomi pledged to use his presidency of the Network to drive homegrown policy solutions, stronger inter-parliamentary coordination, and continent-wide collaboration on security, trade, and innovation.
“We will stop outsourcing our future. I will ensure this Network speaks with one voice—Africa’s voice.”
He stressed that true development cannot happen without security, warning that over 120 million Africans now face acute food insecurity, most of them in conflict zones.
“Security is not optional. No peace means no investment. No peace means no development.”
Satomi said the continent’s dependence on foreign imports—90% of which are from outside Africa—was a colonial hangover that must be cut off.
“We must manufacture, produce, and trade within. The African Continental Free Trade Area is our gateway. We must use it.”
He also cited Libya as a warning to those who still believe in Western salvation.
“Libya used to work. Look at it now. Foreign interference destroyed it. Africa must learn.”
Satomi acknowledged that African legislators are often limited by executive power but urged them not to retreat.
“We may not control everything, but with diplomacy and legislation, we can change the direction of our nations.”
He closed with a challenge to his colleagues across the continent:
“Let’s make laws by Africans, for Africans. Let’s show the world what a united, self-sufficient Africa looks like. We have everything we need—except the will to act. That must change.”
