AFRICA’S UNITY WON’T COME FROM DONORS OR DECLARATIONS

"Until the continent funds itself, feeds itself, and defends itself, “One Africa” will remain an empty slogan.’’

For decades, African leaders have thundered about Pan-Africanism, integration, and the dream of “One Africa.” Speeches at the African Union are delivered with passion, and declarations are signed with fanfare. Yet the continent remains fragmented, underdeveloped, and dependent on foreign loans. We are simply not ready for a borderless utopia. Tear those borders down today and chaos would follow: fragile economies collapsing into stronger ones, migration spikes overwhelming unprepared neighbors, and instability spilling across borders. Unity must be built step by step not wished into existence.

Railways Before Rhetoric

Consider trade costs: it is still more expensive to ship goods from Lagos to Accra than from Lagos to London. This is absurd for a continent with 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of N$54.8 trillion. Africa lacks internal connectivity. A continent-wide, affordable railway network imagine trains running from Cape Town to Kinshasa, or Accra to Nairobi would transform trade and integration. Railways cut costs by as much as 40% compared to road transport, according to the African Development Bank. One railway line can do more for Pan-African unity than a hundred AU summits. Namibia, with Walvis Bay already emerging as a regional logistics hub, could lead Southern Africa in connecting ports and trade corridors deeper into the continent.

Trade With Ourselves First

The numbers expose our weakness. Intra-African trade makes up only 16% of total trade, while Europe trades 67% within itself, and Asia 64%. That means the average African country trades four times more with Europe or China than with its next-door neighbor. Only 24 countries have begun active trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), even though it was launched in 2021. Yet the potential is massive: the World Bank estimates AfCFTA could boost intra-African exports by 81% by 2035, adding N$7.9 trillion to continental income. Afreximbank has already reported a 12.4% rise in intra-African trade in 2024, reaching nearly N$3.5 trillion. Namibia could spearhead AfCFTA in Southern Africa by redirecting trade flows through its ports and encouraging African markets over dependence on Europe and China.

Stop Begging the IMF

Africa still leans heavily on the IMF and World Bank. Between 2000 and 2020, African nations borrowed over N$2.7 trillion from the IMF, often with painful austerity conditions. Loans are not generosity; they are control mechanisms. Africa needs its own monetary fund, built from the resources of stronger economies like South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt, to buffer weaker states during crises. Namibia, with its disciplined fiscal policies and resource wealth, could champion the push for a continental monetary fund to reduce dependence on Washington and Brussels. True self-reliance begins with financial independence.

Feed Africa, Don’t Import Its Meals

Despite having 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, Africa still imports food worth over N$883 billion annually, according to the FAO. That is a scandal. Real sovereignty starts in the soil. Governments must invest in irrigation schemes, mechanized farming, and agro-processing industries that can supply both domestic and export markets. Namibia, despite semi-arid conditions, has enormous potential for irrigation-based farming and could emerge as a regional food supplier, demonstrating that even dry nations can achieve food sovereignty.

Security Is Unity

From the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, insecurity bleeds across borders. Terrorist groups like ISIS-Sahel and JNIM have expanded aggressively, with JNIM alone boasting around 6,000 fighters pushing into coastal West Africa. Conflicts displace millions and undermine economies. Africa spends roughly N$352 billion annually on conflict, according to the AU. The U.S. and EU now openly urge African states to build self-reliant security systems. What Africa needs is a continental defense alliance, pooling intelligence and resources, something akin to an “African NATO.” Namibia, with its experience in peacekeeping under SADC and the UN, could help lead Southern African security initiatives.

Brains Over Begging

Africa imports technology, medicine, and innovation at high costs. This dependence suffocates local creativity. We must invest in research hubs, universities, and innovation labs. The African diaspora alone remits over N$1.7 trillion annually, more than foreign aid to the continent. Imagine if even half of that money funded African research in health, agriculture, and climate resilience. Namibia’s green hydrogen and renewable energy projects show what is possible. But to drive continental innovation, Namibia must lead by example demonstrating that African solutions can be world-class.

Cut the Puppet Strings

The African Union, meant to be the voice of the continent, too often echoes donor agendas. This must end. A truly independent AU must be unapologetically African grounded in the needs of its citizens, not the prescriptions of Brussels, Washington, or Beijing. Namibia, with its democratic stability and regional credibility, could push for an AU that prioritizes African self-determination and regional development.

Teach Pan-Africanism Young

Unity is not just economics or politics it is psychological. Pan-Africanism should not be reserved for speeches at summits; it should be taught in schools, integrated into history books, and ingrained in civic education. Children should grow up seeing “Africa first” before they see tribe or colonial borders. In Namibia, where youth unemployment is high, Pan-Africanism should be presented as a strategy for opportunity, cooperation, and continental prosperity.

The Harsh Reality And Namibia’s Choice

Even before the Berlin Conference carved Africa into pieces, this continent was never one kingdom. It was a mosaic of states and peoples. Unity will never mean uniformity; it means standing together in trade, in defense, in technology, and in agriculture while celebrating diversity.

Africa cannot beg its way to unity. Not from the IMF, not from donors, not from empty speeches. Unity must be built through railways, trade, farms, laboratories, classrooms, and strong defenses. Only when Africa funds itself, feeds itself, connects itself, and protects itself will political unity naturally follow.

And here lies Namibia’s role. Too often, Namibia is praised for its peace, its democracy, and its natural wealth but remains silent in continental leadership. Yet this country has strategic assets: Walvis Bay, one of Africa’s finest deep-water ports; uranium and diamonds powering global industries; a small but educated population; and a reputation for stability. Namibia could position itself as a Southern African leader in logistics, renewable energy, food security, and security coordination sectors critical for continental unity. The choice is simple: remain a quiet bystander applauded for stability, or rise to become a Southern African pivot for African self-reliance.

The continent is waiting. The question is whether Namibia is ready to lead.

• * Gideon Kapuka is a researcher, writer, and business consultant; gideonkapuka5@gmail.com