Neocolonialism, imperialism & agents

Jul 13, 2025

I was asked to speak about The African’s Federation’s position on Colonialism as part of an X Space event. Here is the outline of my remarks:

We are shaping a call to reorient, strategically and unapologetically, around the principle of African self-determination. On behalf of The African Federation, I affirm that Africa's condition today is not the result of laziness or scarcity but the deliberate outcome of interconnected systems - policies, financing, and ideologies - that legitimise foreign control, often sustained by domestic actors who have internalised colonial logic.

Decolonisation, for Africa’s people, is not a historical footnote; it is the urgent, ongoing work of dismantling these systems and building a sovereign future grounded in African thought and agency.

The mechanisms of neocolonial Control
Neocolonialism operates through deliberate constraints on African sovereignty. As an example, trade agreements strip our nations of bargaining power, prioritising foreign markets over local needs. Donor-led “development” frameworks dictate budget priorities, while currencies like the CFA franc remain tethered to external control.

Adding to this, our media often amplifies foreign narratives, and education systems continue to center on Western knowledge, marginalising indigenous epistemologies. Worse, local elites - whether enforcing IMF-backed austerity, silencing dissent to protect donor inflows, or profiting from resource concessions signed in foreign capitals - act not as victims but as administrators of this neocolonial architecture.

A decolonised future grounded in African systems
The African Federation does not romanticise sovereignty; we are done agonising. We are organising to decouple from systems that weaponise dependency and rebuild governance, media, and economies that serve the many, rather than the few.

Decolonisation demands a vision of sovereignty that is practical and lived. It means embedding Ubuntu as a governing value, where interdependence drives decision-making. It means building indigenous systems of economy, environment, governance and wellness, rooted in shared responsibility rather than imported models. 

Economic sovereignty requires prioritising intra-African trade, fostering indigenous innovation, and rejecting exploitative debt frameworks. This is not isolationism - it is a demand for equity and agency. True Pan-African sovereignty must be built from the inside out, informed by local cultures, guided by collective memory, and sustained by civic structures (like TAF) that answer to African people, not foreign interests.

We must confront the role of local elites who perpetuate neocolonial systems. Too often, African leaders serve as proxies, managing structures that benefit foreign governments or banks rather than their people. TAF’s position is clear - leadership must be accountable to African communities. The African Federation exists as a catalytic system for civic leadership, not to replace governments but to subject all leadership to ethical scrutiny, civic pressure and alignment with African needs. Through our campaigns and initiatives such as our annual Ubuntu Celebrations and the upcoming Leadership Spotlight Series, we are reintroducing Africa to itself, reviving the caliber of leadership that once was and must now be reborn.

From awareness to architecture
To put it another way, decolonisation is not a slogan; it is a discipline. TAF is building the mechanisms to make sovereignty possible. This includes narrative power through digital media and strategic communication; civic leadership training across our chapters; policy and research infrastructure to expose the internal-external nexuses of control; and Pan-African collaborations that unite Africa’s youth under shared purpose. We are advancing a deeper civic consciousness, reminding young Africans that they are not just citizens but custodians of a future only they can shape. Our vision is a very different kind of superpower Africa by 2050, one that serves the many - not the few!

The work ahead
As we look at the work ahead, reclaiming sovereignty requires both creative destruction and visionary construction. It means dismantling systems of dependency while building governance with eyes on Africa - locally grounded, continentally conscious. It means confronting elites, not just outsiders, and mobilising African people to liberate themselves through organisation, not just rage, and through policy, not just protest.

Let’s shape together a renewed commitment to building a decolonised Africa, united in purpose, rooted in our values, and driven by the promise of a future we define.