Prominent Kenyan lawyer and activist, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, has voiced concerns about the current wave of emigration of African talents to foreign countries, describing it as a form of modern-day slavery. Lumumba shared his views during a speech at The Platform, an Independence Day Anniversary event organized by Pastor Poju Oyemade’s The Covenant Nation in Lagos.
Lumumba highlighted that despite the end of colonial rule in Africa, indirect exploitation continues to persist. He emphasized the need for Africa to redefine itself and expressed deep worry about the mass migration of professionals from the continent to Europe, America, and other regions, likening it to a modern form of slavery.
He stated, “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.”
In a separate presentation, Nigeria’s Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, discussed plans to revitalize the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) by introducing a franchise system. This initiative aims to enhance the nation’s economy by improving the movement of goods and services. Tijani emphasized that NIPOST plays a crucial role in connecting various sectors of the economy and proposed turning it into a franchise where young entrepreneurs could operate NIPOST locations, providing a range of services beyond mail delivery, such as passport application processing and banking services.