Lawyer Oparaugo tells African leaders to build unity before seeking global recognition

A Nigerian lawyer and technology entrepreneur, Osita Oparaugo, has told African leaders to stop seeking recognition from the rest of the world and instead build the kind of united, economically strong continent that other nations cannot ignore.

He was reacting to fresh calls for Africa to get a stronger voice at the United Nations, including reform of the UN Security Council, and to the push for greater African representation at the recently concluded UN General Assembly.

Oparaugo, founder of GetBundi Education Technology, argued that the continent's problem is not that the world fails to notice it, but that its 54 countries have not organised their resources, markets and political interests into one force.

How can 54 nations demand that the world recognise their collective power when they have failed to organise that power collectively?

He said Africa already has the population, natural resources, markets and skilled people to become a major force in the global economy, but political division, restrictive borders and weak trade between African countries keep holding it back.

Process our resources here, he urges

Oparaugo questioned whether repeated appeals for Security Council reform, reparations and greater representation can achieve much without stronger African economies behind them.

He pointed to China's rise as an example, saying it built its global standing through manufacturing, infrastructure, technology and domestic industry rather than waiting for recognition.

He criticised the habit of shipping raw materials abroad and buying back finished goods made from them, asking why Africa exports lithium and imports batteries, exports crude oil and imports refined petroleum products, and exports cocoa and imports chocolate.

Africa must stop exporting its wealth and importing its value.

He wants governments to make local processing, job creation and technology transfer central conditions in deals with foreign investors, and to use tax incentives to attract processing plants and factories onto African soil.

For ordinary Nigerians, that argument touches on jobs and prices: more refining and processing at home could mean more work and less reliance on imports.

Open borders and a bigger market

Oparaugo also called for faster implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the continent-wide trade agreement, along with better cross-border payment systems and freer movement of people, goods and money.

He said free movement cannot remain a slogan and AfCFTA cannot stay an agreement on paper, arguing that a larger single market would help African businesses sell beyond their own borders and strengthen the continent's hand in trade talks.

He also named Africa's young population as its biggest long-term asset, noting that many young Africans already earn from software development, entrepreneurship and the creative industries. But he warned that this potential will be wasted without steady investment in education, digital skills and infrastructure.

His message to leaders was summed up in a call for an "Africa First" approach to diplomacy and development, which he said should not mean abandoning national interests.

Not Nigeria first. Not Ghana first. Not Kenya first. Not South Africa first. Not Egypt first. Not Morocco first. Africa first.

He argued that a continent that is economically integrated and politically coordinated would negotiate differently, and that if Africa insists on local manufacturing and technology transfer, investors will have to respond.

"Unite yourselves before you ask the world to unite with you," he said.