Kenyan scholar and Pan-Africanist, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, has urged Africans to confront xenophobia and Afrophobia with love, solidarity and stronger economic cooperation, stressing that continental unity remains critical to Africa’s global relevance.
Lumumba made the call at the 2026 grand end-of-year event of The Bridge Club in Lagos, where he urged African countries to embrace their shared history, strengthen continental integration and pursue economic independence to earn international respect.
“Where there is hate, it drowns in a sea of love,” he said, advocating greater hospitality and cooperation among African countries in response to hostility against fellow Africans.
Speaking on the theme, “Xenophobia Contradicts Pan-Africanism,” the scholar described discrimination against fellow Africans as a betrayal of Pan-African ideals, which promote shared identity, unity and collective development.
He recalled xenophobic attacks in South Africa in 2008 and between 2010 and 2015, noting that hostility towards fellow Africans was not peculiar to the country, although recent incidents had renewed concerns about discrimination across the continent.
Lumumba traced Africa’s divisions partly to colonialism, particularly the 1884–1885 Berlin Conference, which partitioned the continent into European spheres of influence and created artificial boundaries that continue to undermine African integration.
He stressed that Pan-Africanism must be demonstrated through concrete actions rather than declarations, calling for increased intra-African trade, local manufacturing, economic integration and easier movement across national borders.
“We earn respect when we begin to do things for ourselves,” he said, emphasising the need for African countries to strengthen domestic production and reduce dependence on imported goods.
Earlier, Chairman of the occasion and former Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, condemned attacks against Nigerians and other black Africans in South Africa, describing them as unacceptable and poorly timed.
Tuggar said the incidents, whether characterised as xenophobia or Afrophobia, deserved unequivocal condemnation, particularly given Nigeria’s commitment to protecting the dignity of its citizens abroad.
He noted that Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities, anchored on strategic autonomy and diaspora engagement, underscored the importance of safeguarding Nigerians overseas.
The former minister also highlighted the strategic importance of Nigeria-South Africa relations, recalling South Africa’s support for Nigeria’s engagement with the G20 during its 2025 presidency, including an African outreach meeting hosted in Abuja.
The gathering attracted public servants, legal practitioners, business leaders, families and associates for fellowship, reflection and celebration.
