Eminent lawyer and thought leader Ace Ankomah has issued a strong call for Africa to abolish internal borders, regain ownership in global affairs and urgently reposition itself in a rapidly changing world order, warning that continued fragmentation will leave the continent in permanent vulnerability.
Speaking on Friday at the Africa Prosperity Dialogue on the theme ‘Make Africa Borderless Now’, Mr Ankoma argued that Africa’s historic exclusion from global decision-making continues to shape economic weakness, political instability and development challenges.
Ankoma said the continent had long been treated as a “menu item” rather than a participant at the world table, similar to the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, when Africa was partitioned without representation.
“For 104 days, the most powerful countries of the world met in Berlin. Africa was not invited. Africa was not consulted. There was no African representative,” he said. “Africa was on the menu.”
He described colonial borders imposed on Africa as a form of “continental fragmentation” that divided communities, undermined economic viability and exacerbated conflicts. The results are still evident in weak markets, chronic insecurity, and underdevelopment, despite vast natural wealth.
Ankomah pointed out that even the middle powers that once benefited from Africa’s disintegration are now facing the collapse of the so-called rules-based international order, as world politics moves increasingly towards self-interest.
“This is the reality we live in,” he said, adding that in a world dominated by strategic competition, neutrality and passivity are no longer protections.
Africa without borders, not divided sovereignty
Turning to contemporary Africa, Mr. Ankoma criticized the contradictions in tightly policing Africa’s borders while allowing external actors easy access to the continent’s resources.
He used the example of a short journey from Accra to Lomé to highlight the bureaucratic and logistical hurdles Africans face under existing free movement frameworks, despite decades-old regional agreements.
“We police each other hard, but we leave the door wide open to outsiders who can easily exploit our wealth,” he said. “This is not sovereignty. This is fragmentation disguised as independence.”
He argued that the most harmful borders are not geographical but psychological, rooted in artificial national divisions inherited from colonial rule.
The urgency of industrial transformation
Ankomah warned that Africa risks missing out on both the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions, stressing that science, technology, digitization and artificial intelligence are no longer optional, but essential for survival.
“Africa may have missed out on the first three industrial revolutions, but we cannot afford to miss out on this one,” he said, calling technology a “lifeline” to help the continent overcome its historic backwardness.
But he cautioned against importing solutions designed for other societies, insisting that Africa must create its own answers.
“It is brains, not natural resources, that develop a nation,” he said, lamenting the loss of innovation as research and student ideas are often shelved without being commercialized.
He called on African governments to actively support innovation, including by creating campus-based incubators, linking research and industry, protecting intellectual property, and enabling career paths in science and engineering.
call to action
Mr. Ankoma urged Africans to turn poverty and inefficiency into catalysts for decisive action, stressing that ideas alone are no longer enough.
“The African idea has always been here. What is missing is action,” he said.
He outlined a framework for sustainable prosperity rooted in self-reliance, scientific thinking and the development of industries that add value to everyday life.
“We don’t need to be at someone else’s table, we don’t need to be on anyone else’s menu,” he said. “We can and must create our own tables. We can and must write our own menus.”
Mr. Ankoma concluded his speech by appealing to Africans to reject narratives of impossibility and assert confidence in our collective potential.
“We must not pretend that all major civilizations have overcome poverty except for Africa,” he said, appealing to the continent to answer persistent questions with results, not promises.
“Africa cannot just stand up. Africa must shine.”
Disclaimer: The views, comments, opinions, contributions and statements made by readers and contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Multimedia Group Limited.
Disclaimer: The views, comments, opinions, contributions and statements made by readers and contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Multimedia Group Limited.
