By Adejoh Bilkisu
As the sun sets on outdated political systems, a bold new call emerged from Abuja: Africa must rebuild its democracy from within.
This was the central message as political leaders, scholars, and civil society influencers gathered at the International Conference on Africa’s Democracy (ICAD 2025).
From the conference hall, one message rang clear Africa’s future must be led by Africans, with governance systems rooted in the continent’s identity, culture, and people.
Delivering a passionate address on behalf of the Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu made a compelling case for youth inclusion in politics.
He stressed that with over 60% of Africa’s population under the age of 35, parliaments across the continent must urgently adopt youth-centered legislation.
“Democracy must reflect the aspirations of its majority,” Abbas said, highlighting Nigeria’s Not Too Young to Run Act and the Legislative Mentorship Initiative as examples of progress. But he warned that until barriers facing youth and women are dismantled, truly inclusive governance will remain a mirage.
Renowned Kenyan legal scholar, Prof. Patrick Otieno Lumumba, issued a sobering reminder that tribalism continues to be Africa’s Achilles’ heel. “The tribe is innocent; it is the tribalists who are guilty,” he declared, lamenting how ethnicity is often weaponised by the political elite to divide rather than unite.
Lumumba urged African states to rediscover their indigenous governance systems like Ethiopia’s Gadaa model and to resist the rise of kakistocracy, government by the least capable. His call to action: young Africans must learn from history, rise above divisions, and lead with integrity and vision.
Former Kenyan Prime Minister, H.E. Raila Odinga, added his voice to the growing consensus that Africa must abandon wholesale adoption of Western democratic systems. “Democracy must be universal, yes but it must also be uniquely African,” he said.
Odinga stressed the importance of grounding governance in African cultural values, consensus traditions, and people-driven institutions.
ICAD 2025 Team Leader, Ambassador Chris Iyama, criticized the dependency on foreign aid despite Africa’s abundant natural resources, asking, “For how long will our budgets remain hostage to donor priorities?”We must stop outsourcing our destiny,” he said. “We need to start talking to ourselves and redefine democracy on our terms.”
He urged African nations to build political will, prioritize intra-African collaboration, and take charge of their development journeys.
He further challenged African governments to stop being comfortable with external validation while their citizens remain in poverty. “We must unlock our own potential, fund our own progress, and lead our own democratic journey,” Iyama affirmed
As the conference drew to a close, one consensus remained: Africa’s salvation will not come from borrowed blueprints. It must be homegrown led by its people, its history, and its collective will to rise.
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