In a bold and impassioned keynote address at the Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference, South African opposition leader and President of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, issued a resounding call for the political and economic unification of Africa.
Speaking before thousands of legal professionals, academics, and policymakers gathered under the theme “Stand Out, Stand Tall,” Malema declared that the time had come for Africa to dismantle colonial-era borders and forge a single continental identity. His vision: one president, one currency, one parliament, and one military command for all 54 African nations.
“We demand one Africa, we demand a borderless Africa, we demand an Africa with one president, one currency, one military command, with one parliament,” Malema proclaimed to a standing ovation.
Malema argued that unity is the only path to ending Africa’s dependency on foreign powers and reclaiming control over its vast mineral wealth and human capital. He criticized the continent’s continued export of raw materials only to import finished goods at inflated prices, calling it a cycle of exploitation that must end.
He also condemned xenophobia, particularly in South Africa, as a betrayal of African solidarity, and praised Nigeria’s historic role in the anti-apartheid struggle. Malema urged Nigeria and South Africa to lead the charge toward industrialization and economic sovereignty.
“Our salvation lies here—in Lagos and Johannesburg, in Abuja and Pretoria—in the hands of Africans who refuse to be divided,” he said.
Malema’s address also included a warning against reckless foreign borrowing, which he described as a “debt trap” that mortgages the continent’s future. He called for visa-free movement across Africa and emphasized the need for Africans to treat one another with dignity and respect.