By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has called on African countries to reduce their reliance on Western nations and instead focus on leveraging their own abundant human and natural resources to pursue a path of self-sufficiency, stability, and growth.
Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Rep. Ahmed Satomi, made this appeal during a gala night held as part of the 8th Conference of the Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees in Abuja. 
He emphasised that the time had come for African nations to speak with one voice, take charge of their collective future, and work towards building a continent that fully realizes its potential.
“We have to delete the notion, the thinking that we can’t do without the West’s influence. Africa is one of the best continents in the globe. There is no reason for anyone to be poor. We have everything it takes as a continent to stand on our peaks,” he said.
He cautioned that if African leaders failed to take decisive action to address the continent’s pressing issues—including terrorism, food shortages, youth unemployment, limited industrial development, and long-standing conflicts—the vision of a thriving Africa would remain out of reach.
At the conference, Satomi was elected President of the Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees for a two-year term. He pledged to dedicate his leadership to promoting stronger coordination, better information exchange, and effective legislation to help close the gaps in security and development across Africa.
“With your support, with your input, we will pilot the appearance of this great network and reposition it to reflect the entire African country,” he said.
The event was hosted by the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation and the Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees.
Referencing Africa’s rising population and resource wealth, Satomi said, “The GDP of Africa is expected to increase to about 4.1, which is higher than the predicted 3.2 by the world. Sub-Saharan African growth is projected to reach up to 3.5% in 2025 and further appreciate up to 4.3 in 2027.”
He emphasized the continent’s demographic strength as both a challenge and an opportunity. “It will interest you to know the projected increase of about 740 million people within the age of population by 2050. Then, 12 million youths enter the labor market every year. But the challenge is that only 3 million new formal jobs are currently created annually.,” he warned.
Satomi said the security-development nexus must be urgently addressed, noting that peace and progress are inseparable.
“Without security there is no peace. Without peace there is no development. And what Africa needs now is development,” he said.
He expressed frustration at the continent’s overreliance on imports.
“Everything that we are seeing here, 90% are made in Europe, Asia or other parts of Africa. This is a great challenge that is being pounded on us by our colonizers,” he said.
Reiterating the need for a coordinated African voice in tackling shared challenges, Satomi pledged to leverage his new position to strengthen continental unity. “As the new president of this network, one of the cardinal things I want to do first with you together is the sharing of information and making communication so easy so that we will be discussing issues affecting one another to provide solutions to our continent,” he said.
He also highlighted statistics showing that 120 million Africans face acute food insecurity, with 80% of those affected living in conflict-ridden areas. He urged parliamentarians to enact forward-looking legislation and advocate policies that reflect Africa’s realities and future.
“Despite the challenges we have of our independence by the executive, if we are diplomatic enough, we can send messages to where our world is to go. We will enact laws that will be used by Africa, by Africa, to have an Africa of our choice,” he stated.
Satomi decried the consequences of external interference, citing Libya as a cautionary tale. “Libya has turned on its own before. Where is Libya today?” he asked.
He also drew attention to the continent’s economic prospects and the promise of regional integration.
“Africa is expected to be the second fastest growing region globally, with East Africa projected to be the most buoyant region. The African continent free trade area presents a transformative opportunity to accelerate trade, fleet integration, and development,” he said.
Satomi appealed to parliamentarians and stakeholders to embrace cooperation and innovation.
“We should strengthen our coordination and information sharing in this network. Definitely I believe we will see Africa of our choice,” he said.
