The well-known Kenyan lawyer and activist, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, has drawn attention to the fresh exodus of African talents to overseas destinations noting that it’s akin to contemporary slavery.
Lumumba asserts that the legacy of colonialists endures in Africa, with their indirect exploitation continuing despite their departure years ago.
One of the speakers at this year’s edition of The Platform, an Independence Day Anniversary event organised in Lagos by Pastor Poju Oyemade’s The Covenant Nation, was the former leader of Kenya’s anti-corruption agency.
Lumumba, in his address, stressed the importance of Africa redefining itself and drew parallels between the large-scale emigration of African professionals to Europe, America, and other regions and modern slavery.
In Lumumba’s words: ‘When we judge Africa, we must ask ourselves from whose lens are we judging Africa. The colonisers left (Africa) but never left. Africa is the only country that is still being referred to as francophone or anglophone.’
‘We were the enablers of the first industrial revolution when our ancestors were taken to work on the farms in Europe. We enabled that revolution. Right now, we’re enabling the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions which is why there are talent visas because they’re taking our talents. If it is not our nurses, it is our IT experts or our engineers. We are gleefully letting them away. When I see our heads of state say we have signed the contract to take our workers to Saudi Arabia, (it is) modern-day slavery.’
Read also: Prayer And Fasting Cannot Liberate Africa – Prof Lumumba
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, revealed in his presentation that President Bola Tinubu’s government is contemplating the implementation of a franchise system within the Nigerian Postal Service as a means of revitalisation.
Tijani stated that the functionality of NIPOST is critical, as it influences the ability of numerous sectors in the nation’s economy to contribute to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
‘The reality is that we can’t have a vibrant economy if people cannot move goods. If a farmer in Funtua cannot grow fresh vegetables and get them to Pastor Poju in Lagos, who is conscious of his health and wants to eat clean, then we have a problem. That farmer is not going to be able to add to our GDP, Pastor Poju is not going to get the service that he requires. So, the GDP number won’t be where we want it to be.’
‘So, NIPOST has a critical role to play in connecting all of us. So, we are trying as much as possible to re-imagine what NIPOST is all about, perhaps turn it into a franchise where a young businessman can own a NIPOST location, not own outright, but the government can franchise it out to you and you’ll run that location.’
‘That location will not only serve for delivery purposes, it’ll also become a location where you can go and sign up for your passport if you want to. You can go there to open a bank account. You can go there to also transact all sorts of businesses. It becomes a business centre, really, for you. That’s also something we are reimagining,’ the minister said.
Taking into account Prof. Lumumba’s perspective, it’s noteworthy to observe the recent escalation in UK visa fees, notably for student visas. This adjustment appears to have transformed the visa application process into a potentially lucrative business, fueled by the large number of individuals in search of better opportunities overseas.
Implementing reforms in our home country, alongside the establishment of an enabling environment, could, to some extent, encourage the retention of these talents in Africa, ultimately benefiting the continent.