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Opinion
Unsplash Fort on Gorée Island, Senegal, was the site of one of the first European settlements in West Africa. Source UN News
Calls for restorative justice can no longer be ignored, speakers at the fourth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum for People of African Descent said last April.
They urged greater collaboration between governments, civil society and regional organizations to create a system that compensates Africa and the African diaspora for the lasting legacies of colonialism, slavery, apartheid and genocide between the 16th and 19th centuries. “Africa was under siege,” said Hilary Brown, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), about 300 years of slavery and exploitation on the continent. “Their political, economic and social systems were plunged into chaotic instability as Europe plundered the continent in search of its most valuable asset: its people.”
– Professor Jude Osakwe, a Nigerian academic at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) and continental president of the Organization of Nigerians in Diaspora in Africa (NIDOAF), has reiterated the absolute truth on Reparations for Africa, pointing out that African governments have consistently expressed only “emotional solidarity” on Reparations instead of addressing and addressing, seriously, this pertinent issue within the context of diplomacy.
He firmly believes that despite the marked political and cultural diversity influencing events, African leaders can still adopt a collective strategy in pursuit of advantageous aspirations to sustain continental sovereignty. The concept of Pan-Africanism is notably fragmented, while grassroots movements lack strategic coordination.
Here are excerpts from the interview:
How well do Africans represent the continent on reparations and Pan-Africanism?
Professor Jude Osakwe: Honestly, inadequately, but not without effort. The representation is fragmented. The loudest voices on reparations often come from the Caribbean and African American communities, while continental Africans remain largely marginalized in that global conversation.
There is more talk about Pan-Africanism as an ideology than its practice. There is emotional solidarity, but very little structural unity. The honest reality is that African governments have not made reparations a serious diplomatic priority and grassroots movements lack coordination to pressure them to do so.
Does the diaspora media landscape affect how these issues are viewed from a Western perspective?
Professor Osakwe: Absolutely.
Western media frames Pan-Africanism as nostalgic romanticism or a political threat, and frames reparations as an African-American issue, in effect completely erasing the continental African dimension. As an African in the diaspora, you are constantly navigating between your own framework of life and a media environment that misrepresents or ignores your perspective.
This creates a psychological burden, you must actively resist the dominant narrative just to maintain an accurate self-understanding. African diaspora media exists, but continues to lack funding and reach compared to traditional media, meaning that the Western framework dominates public discourse by default.
What are the measures to defend African identity in the diaspora and the contributions of the diaspora amidst geopolitical changes?
Professor Osakwe: Key measurements:
- • Cultural transmission, language, history, and intentional values should be actively taught, not assumed.
• Create African-led and not just African-themed diaspora institutions.
• Political commitment in both host countries and countries of origin.
• Economic networks through platforms like NIDO that connect diaspora professionals with continental development.
On geopolitical contributions: The current moment, in which Africa renegotiates its relations with the Western powers, China, Russia and the Gulf States, is actually an opportunity for the diaspora. Africans in the diaspora within Western governments, universities and financial institutions have real influence.
The question is whether that leverage is used collectively or dissipated individually. Remittances already exceed foreign aid to many African countries. What is needed now is to move beyond remittances to strategic investments, policy advocacy and knowledge transfer, transforming the diaspora from a financial lifeline to a true development partner.
Kester Kenn Klomegah focuses on current geopolitical changes, foreign relations and issues related to economic development in Africa with external countries. Most of his well-resourced articles are reprinted in several reputable foreign media.
IPS UN Office
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