By 
Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged African governments, businesses, and young people to stop outsourcing the continent’s development, stressing that Africa’s prosperity must be driven from within.
Speaking at a fireside chat on the sidelines of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algiers on Monday, Obasanjo, who chairs the IATF Advisory Council, said Africa’s future depended on unity, agency, and bold self-determination.
“We have to adequately equip ourselves with knowledge — knowledge of the world, knowledge of ourselves, knowledge of what is wrong with us and we put them right, knowledge of what we can do, and we can do,” Obasanjo said.
He warned against continued dependence on global financial and trade structures, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and commodity pricing systems, which he said were designed to exploit Africa rather than support its development.
Instead, he called for accelerated implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), deeper intra-African trade, and the adoption of local currency payment systems to reduce reliance on the dollar and euro.
Obasanjo also emphasised the importance of regional infrastructure, including coastal shipping, to cut costs and enhance connectivity across African economies.
“What unites us must be stronger than what divides us,” he said, urging African countries to build frameworks such as the AfCFTA and the IATF that are tailored for the continent’s progress.
Looking ahead, Obasanjo said Africa’s economic independence could be achieved faster if the continent harnessed youth leadership, invested in knowledge, and pursued integration with determination.
“Africa’s future,” he declared, “must be built by us, for us, with us.”
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