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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Kenyan Pan-Africanist scholar, Prof Patrick Lumumba, has decried what he described as Africa’s deep-rooted low self-esteem, blaming it for the continent’s dependence on foreign goods, infrastructure, and expertise.
Delivering a keynote lecture at the Nasarawa State University (NSUK) 8th combined convocation lecture, held as part of the institution’s 25th anniversary celebrations, he said Africa’s developmental challenges stem from colonial miseducation that weakened confidence in indigenous capacity.
Speaking on the theme: University’s Role in Africa’s Renaissance: Reimagining Knowledge for Development in the 21st Century’, he challenged African universities to produce innovators capable of building aircraft in Nigeria, manufacturing medicine in Mauritania, and achieving food self-sufficiency in states like Nasarawa.
The lecture, attended by dignitaries including the Kenyan and Tanzanian High Commissioners, the Polish Ambassador, and Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, saw Lumumba argued that Africa had a rich pre-colonial heritage
He cited Egyptian pyramids, Sudan’s pyramids, Mali’s Dogon astronomy, and the Benin Kingdom’s architectural feats.
He, however, lamented that colonialism disrupted that trajectory, noting that the 1884–1885 Berlin Conference fragmented Africa without logic or regard for existing civilisations.
Lumumba criticised Africa’s continued dependence on imports, citing Nigeria’s estimated $4billion annual spending on clothing imports and heavy reliance on second-hand garments.
“How do we continue to consume what has been discarded by other civilisations?” he asked.
He also faulted the continent’s reliance on foreign firms for infrastructure and manufacturing, questioning why Chinese companies still dominate road construction in Nigeria and why European and American firms produce critical building components such as elevators.
On healthcare, he lamented the reliance on medical tourism despite the presence of trained professionals across African institutions.
According to him, colonial education systems instilled inferiority by devaluing indigenous languages while elevating European languages as a measure of intelligence.
Lumumba urged African nations to embrace self-reliance, stating that true development would be achieved when African countries manufacture their own aircraft, vehicles, medicines, and consumer goods.
He further called for stronger collaboration among African universities, alignment of educational systems under frameworks such as the Lagos Plan of Action (1980) and Abuja Treaty (1991), and a shift toward innovation-driven research, particularly in renewable energy, agriculture, and technology.
He urged universities to abandon the ivory tower mentality and produce graduates who are problem-solvers and innovators, in line with Agenda 2063’s vision for Africa’s industrial transformation.
