Lumumba: Africa’s Poverty Must Not Fuel War Against Fellow Africans

Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, a Kenyan legal scholar and public speaker, has warned that Africa's lack of economic opportunities is fueling xenophobia. In his keynote address at the Bridge Club's end-of-year event in Lagos, Lumumba urged governments to focus on job creation, poverty alleviation, and industrial development instead of blaming migrants for the continent's challenges.

He emphasized that xenophobia often thrives in economically disadvantaged societies where unemployment, inequality, and pressure on public services make citizens view foreigners as competitors. Lumumba pointed out that migrants are frequently blamed for economic problems resulting from poor governance and weak institutions, rather than being seen as potential solutions.

He argued that employers exploiting undocumented workers should be held accountable through labor law enforcement, rather than facing hostility from locals. The legal scholar highlighted the irony of Africans celebrating their successful compatriots abroad while showing hostility towards migrants from other African nations. Lumumba stressed that African governments must create jobs, protect wages, improve public services, and enforce immigration laws without humiliating migrants or resorting to collective punishment.

He insisted that the fight against xenophobia is linked to the struggle for economic development, as African economies must become productive enough to absorb their growing populations. Lumumba urged African leaders to prioritize industrialization, agricultural transformation, infrastructure development, education, and technology to address economic hardship and reduce hostility towards migrants.

He emphasized that Pan-Africanism should move from mere declarations of solidarity to practical economic cooperation, ensuring that the prosperity of one African nation benefits others.