The news says: Kenyan scholar and legal expert, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, has called for stronger unity among African nations as a pathway to ending xenophobic violence and achieving true continental independence. He made the appeal against the backdrop of renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians and others across the continent.
Who are the people involved in this address?
Prof. Patrick Lumumba (Kenyan scholar, former Director of Kenya Anti-Corruption, international mediator – keynote speaker), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku (NDDC Managing Director), former President Goodluck Jonathan (chair of the plenary session), Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State (represented by Prof. Nimibofa Ayawaie), Mr. Clement Kekemeke (NBA Yenagoa Branch Chairman), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Yenagoa Branch, and attendees of the 2026 Law Week.
Where did this happen?
The plenary session of the 2026 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yenagoa Branch, held at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Conference Hall, Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
What did Lumumba say?
He called for stronger unity among African nations to end xenophobic violence. He said: “We have a duty to secure our future, but we must start by being united. It is only in unity that we can protect our assets.” He also urged Africans to “find out who we are and decolonise our minds.” His keynote was titled “Sustainable National Assets Protection in Africa: Opportunities, Risks and Regulatory Pathways.”
When did this happen?
The event was the 2026 Law Week. The news was published on June 5, 2026. The lecture was delivered at the 50th Anniversary celebration of University of Ilorin (referenced in the subtitle) but the main address was in Yenagoa.
Why is Lumumba’s message relevant now?
Because of renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians. Lumumba is speaking directly to this crisis. He is arguing that violence between Africans will continue until the continent unites and decolonises its mindset – moving beyond colonial-era divisions that pit one African nation against another.
How does mental decolonisation relate to xenophobia?
Lumumba argues that Africans still think within colonial frameworks – borders drawn by Europeans, ethnic divisions, and competition for resources. Xenophobic attacks are a symptom of that colonial mindset. True decolonisation means seeing fellow Africans as brothers and sisters, not as threats or competitors.
5 key messages from Lumumba’s call for African unity.
1. Xenophobic attacks are a symptom of colonial thinking – not African identity. Lumumba is making a profound point. Africans attacking other Africans is not traditional. Colonialism divided Africa, created artificial borders, and pitted ethnic groups against each other. Xenophobia is a legacy of that division. To end xenophobia, Africans must first recognise that they are one people artificially separated.
2. “Decolonise our minds” – the fight is psychological as well as political. Lumumba’s call for “mental decolonisation” is the core of his message. Political independence was achieved decades ago. But mental independence – the ability to think without colonial frameworks – has not been achieved. Africans still measure success by Western standards. Still divide by colonial borders. Still see other Africans as foreigners. Mental decolonisation is the next frontier.
3. Unity is the only way to protect Africa’s assets. Lumumba said: “It is only in unity that we can protect our assets.” Africa is rich in resources – oil, gas, minerals, land, and human capital. But divided, African nations are exploited by external powers. United, Africa can negotiate from strength. Xenophobic violence weakens that unity and makes the continent vulnerable.
4. The NDDC Managing Director reinforced the message – Western culture has polluted our society. Dr. Samuel Ogbuku of NDDC said: “Western culture has polluted our society, and only the right education can save our country.” He called for value-based education. This aligns with Lumumba’s decolonisation theme. Both speakers are saying: Africa’s problems are not just economic. They are cultural and psychological. The solution is re-education and reorientation.
5. Former President Jonathan chaired the session – adding weight to the message. Goodluck Jonathan, a former Nigerian president, chaired the plenary. His presence elevates the event. When a former head of state sits through a lecture on xenophobia and decolonisation, it signals that the topic is important. Jonathan also supported calls for education reform, stressing the need to prepare young Nigerians for future challenges.
How this affects Nigerians.
i. It reminds Nigerians that xenophobic attacks in South Africa could happen anywhere – including against Nigerians elsewhere. Nigerians are often victims of xenophobia in South Africa, Ghana, and other countries. But Nigerians have also been accused of xenophobia against other Africans in Nigeria. Lumumba’s call for unity cuts both ways: Nigerians should oppose xenophobia against them – and also ensure they are not xenophobic towards other Africans within Nigeria.
ii. It challenges Nigerians to rethink their identity. Are you Nigerian first or African first? Lumumba would say: you can be both. But mental decolonisation requires seeing fellow Africans as neighbours, not foreigners. That shift in identity would change how Nigerians treat immigrants, how they view continental trade, and how they respond to crises in other African countries.
iii. It highlights the role of lawyers and legal professionals in shaping Africa’s future. The event was an NBA Law Week. Lumumba spoke to lawyers. He is challenging the legal profession to lead the fight for unity and decolonisation. Laws shape societies. Lawyers who understand mental decolonisation can draft laws that promote continental integration, protect African assets, and penalise xenophobic violence.
iv. It connects education reform to national security. Ogbuku said: “Only the right education can save our country.” That is a powerful statement. Education is not just about literacy. It is about values, identity, and worldview. If Nigerian education remains colonial in content and orientation, Nigerian minds will remain colonial. That perpetuates division, corruption, and xenophobia.
v. It places the fight against xenophobia in the context of corruption and governance. Lumumba is a former anti-corruption official. His call for unity is also a call for accountability. Corruption within African nations weakens them. Weak nations are vulnerable to external exploitation. Vulnerable nations produce citizens who lash out at other Africans. Fighting xenophobia requires fighting corruption – and building strong, just, accountable states.
Advice from this analyst.
1. To the African Union (AU): take mental decolonisation seriously. It sounds abstract. But it is practical. Launch a continent-wide campaign on African unity. Use schools, media, and cultural events. The AU spends too much time on protocols and not enough on people’s minds. Change that.
2. To the Nigerian government: review the school curriculum. Is it decolonised? Do Nigerian children learn about African history, leaders, and achievements? Or do they still learn British history as their own? Reform the curriculum. Teach Nigerians to be proudly African – not just proudly Nigerian.
3. To the NBA and other professional bodies: host more events like this. Lawyers need to hear from thinkers like Lumumba. The law is a tool. But it must be wielded with the right mindset. Decolonise the legal profession. Revisit laws that perpetuate colonial divisions.
4. To Nigerian citizens: when you hear of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, do not respond with anti-South African hatred. That is exactly the colonial mindset Lumumba warns against. Support Nigerian victims. But also support South Africans who oppose xenophobia. Solidarity across borders weakens xenophobia.
5. To the media: amplify Lumumba’s message. Do not just report the event. Explain “mental decolonisation” to your audience. Give examples. Show what it looks like in practice. The media shapes minds. Use that power to unite, not divide.
Rhetorical question for you.
If Africans continue to attack fellow Africans – whether South Africans attacking Nigerians, or Nigerians attacking other Africans – while celebrating political independence, what was independence truly for?
The answer is uncomfortable. Independence without mental decolonisation is hollow. The flags changed. The leaders changed. But the minds remained colonial. Divided. Suspicious of the other. Xenophobia is not African. It is a colonial inheritance. And until Africans reject that inheritance – actively, consciously, collectively – the attacks will continue. Not because Africans are violent. But because they have not yet learned to see each other as one people. Lumumba is not just giving a lecture. He is giving a prescription. The question is whether Africans will fill it.
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Akahi News reports that Prof. Patrick Lumumba stood before lawyers in Yenagoa and told them the truth: xenophobic attacks will not end until Africans decolonise their minds. Until they see fellow Africans as brothers, not foreigners. Until unity becomes more than a slogan. His words were backed by a former president, a NDDC chief, and a governor. The audience applauded. The question is whether they will act. Mental decolonisation is not a one-day seminar. It is a lifetime of unlearning. And it must happen in schools, in courts, in parliaments, and in homes. The lecture is over. The work has just begun.