Maryam Aminu
Africa’s democracy must be rebuilt from within, with young people at the centre, tribalism dismantled, and foreign models replaced by indigenous systems of governance. This was the resounding call as political leaders, scholars, and civil society actors gathered at the International Conference on Africa’s Democracy (ICAD 2025) in Abuja.
Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, stressed the urgent need to prioritise youth inclusion in governance. He said Africa’s parliaments must become proactive by adopting youth-centred legislative frameworks.
“With over 60% of our population under 35, our democracy must reflect their aspirations,” Abbas said. He cited Nigeria’s Not Too Young to Run Act and the Legislative Mentorship Initiative as progress points, while calling for open parliaments, digital civic tools, and regional collaboration.
He warned that without dismantling structural barriers to youth and women’s participation, inclusive development would remain a distant dream.
Renowned Kenyan scholar Prof. Patrick Otieno Lumumba in his Keynote address warned that Africa’s political future remains bleak if tribalism continues to drive electoral competition. “The tribe is innocent; it is the tribalists who are guilty,” he declared, noting that ethnicity is being weaponised by opportunistic leaders.
Lumumba urged Africans to reject colonial-era divisions and embrace inclusive systems inspired by traditional governance models such as Ethiopia’s Gadaa system.
He also decried the rise of kakistocracy governance by the least qualified and urged young people to rise, learn from history, and lead with wisdom.
“If tribalism continues to shape our politics, Africa is done. But if we rethink governance and include every voice, Africa will rise,” he concluded.
Former Kenyan Prime Minister H.E. Raila Odinga echoed the call for homegrown solutions, urging African countries to discard imported Western governance models that fail to reflect the continent’s realities.
“Democracy must be universal, yes but it must also be uniquely African,” Odinga said. He warned against authoritarian drift on the continent and challenged governments to anchor democracy in indigenous systems of consensus, culture, and history.
In his address, ICAD 2025 Team Leader Ambassador Chris Iyama said Africa must urgently stop outsourcing its development path. “We need to start talking to ourselves,” he said. “We need to redefine democracy on our own terms not those handed down by foreign powers.”
Iyama challenged the continent to move away from dependency on international aid, questioning why African nations remain underfunded despite vast natural wealth. “For how long will our budgets remain hostage to donor priorities while our people live amidst untapped billions in resources?”
He called for political will and regional collaboration to drive sustainable development and create governance systems that truly serve Africans not foreign interests. “We must unlock our own potential, fund our own progress, and lead our own democratic journey,” Iyama affirmed
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