Lumumba Highlights Africans Facing a New Form of Enslavement Through Work Visas in the West

Prof. Patrick Lumumba, a popular Kenyan lawyer and activist, says the new wave of emigration of Africans abroad through work visas is modern-day slavery.

He stated that although the colonialists left Africa decades ago they are still indirectly exploiting Africa.

Lumumba who was the former head of the Kenyan anti-corruption agency was one of the speakers at this year’s edition of The Platform, an Independence Day Anniversary event organised in Lagos by Pastor Poju Oyemade’s The Covenant Nation.

Speaking at the event, Lumumba said, “When we judge Africa, we must ask ourselves from whose lens are we judging Africa. The colonisers left (Africa) but never left. Africa is the only country that is still being referred to as francophone or anglophone.”

He also said, “We were the enablers of the first industrial revolution when our ancestors were taken to work on the farms in Europe. We enabled that revolution. Right now, we’re enabling the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions which is why there are talent visas because they’re taking our talents. If it is not our nurses, it is our IT experts or our engineers. We are gleefully letting them away. When I see our heads of state say we have signed the contract to take our workers to Saudi Arabia, (it is) modern-day slavery.”

Also speaking, Nigeria’s Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, hinted that President Bola Tinubu’s government is considering the introduction of the franchise system into the Nigerian Postal Service in order to revive it.

Tijani said, “The reality is that we can’t have a vibrant economy if people cannot move goods. If a farmer in Funtua cannot grow fresh vegetables and get them to Pastor Poju in Lagos, who is conscious of his health and wants to eat clean, then we have a problem. That farmer is not going to be able to add to our GDP, Pastor Poju is not going to get the service that he requires. So, the GDP number won’t be where we want it to be.”

Q1: Who is Prof. Patrick Lumumba, and what did he say about African emigration abroad?

Prof. Patrick Lumumba is a Kenyan lawyer and activist. He highlighted the modern-day slavery aspect of the new wave of African talents emigrating abroad, emphasizing that Africa is indirectly exploited despite the colonial era having ended.

Q2: What did Prof. Lumumba mean by Africa still being referred to as francophone or anglophone?

Prof. Lumumba pointed out that the labels “francophone” or “anglophone” are remnants of colonialism, indicating that Africa’s identity and divisions are still influenced by its colonial history.

Q3: How does Prof. Lumumba connect emigration with enabling industrial revolutions?

Prof. Lumumba explained that African talents emigrating to the West, such as nurses, IT experts, and engineers, contribute to the technological and industrial advancements in those countries, akin to how earlier generations of Africans were taken to work on farms in Europe during the first industrial revolution.

Q4: What is Nigeria’s Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, considering for the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST)?

Dr. Bosun Tijani mentioned that the Nigerian government, under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, is contemplating introducing the franchise system into NIPOST to enhance its functionality and contribute to economic growth by facilitating the movement of goods within the country.