AFRICAN leaders, scholars, and policy experts have issued a warning that the continent risks sliding into a new form of dependency unless it deliberately asserts its strategic autonomy and resists external domination.
They issued the warning at a strategic policy workshop in Lagos themed, “Has Africa Come of Age? Murtala Muhammed’s Pan-African Vision 50 Years After,” jointly organised by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) and the NIIA, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the former Head of State.
Speakers argued that despite Africa’s vast natural resources, youthful population, and expanding diplomatic footprint, the continent remains trapped in cycles of economic vulnerability, political fragility, and external influence,noting that conditions that contradict the bold vision articulated by Muhammed in his historic January 11, 1976 speech at the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) extraordinary summit in Addis Ababa.
“When General Muritala said Africa had come of age, he was saying to the world, don’t think Africa is an appendage anymore. Don’t think Africa is what you like to put today as copycat. To say Africa has come of age is actually to put on the stamp the meaning of strategic autonomy,” the Director-General of Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Eghosa Osaghae, said.
Osaghae stressed that continued dependence on foreign aid and externally driven development models has failed to deliver sustainable progress.
“African solutions to African problems must be more than a slogan. It must become a governing principle,” he added.
Delivering the keynote address, former Minister of External Affairs and Professor of Political Science, Bolaji Akinyemi, cautioned against interpreting “coming of age” as a declaration of success.
“To say that Africa has come of age is not a declaration of perfection, but a recognition of responsibility,” Akinyemi said. “It demands that we examine our political maturity, economic resilience, institutional strength, and cultural confidence.”
He described Murtala Muhammed as “a man of several parts” who restored national pride and pursued governance with uncommon boldness.
Akinyemi argued that Africa must confront unfinished business from independence, including weak institutions, elite capture of resources, and fragmented regional cooperation.
“Without clarity and confidence in global affairs, Africa will continue to be acted upon rather than acting,” he warned.
The Chief Executive Officer of the MMF, Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, explained that the workshop was designed not only to reflect on history, but to challenge a new generation to take ownership of Africa’s destiny.
“My father stood at the forefront of Africa’s liberation struggle,” she said. “This event is also about inspiring young Africans to see themselves as future diplomats, policymakers, and leaders
During a panel session, the Deputy Director of Research at NIIA, Joshua Bolarinwa, said Africa has not yet realised the self-reliance and courageous leadership envisioned by Murtala Muhammed nearly five decades ago.
Similarly, President of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), Hassan Saliu, said both Nigeria and Africa have fallen short on key pillars of Muhammed’s vision which is sovereignty, unity, liberation, and freedom.
He pointed out that persistent conflicts, external military footprints, and economic dependency expose the fragility of Africa’s independence.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.