From Abel Leonard
Senator Ned Nwoko has declared his commitment to leading Africa’s reparation and repatriation struggle, vowing to carry forward the torch once lit by the late pro-democracy icon, Chief Moshood Abiola.
Speaking through his media consultant, Michael Ogah on Friday, the senator said he is determined to champion justice for Africa over centuries of slavery, colonisation, and systemic exploitation, describing the task as a “sacred duty to history and future generations.”
Senator Nwoko currently chairs the Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriation, inaugurated in July 2024, to address historical injustices against Africans and their descendants across the world.
“This is not history for history’s sake,” Nwoko was quoted as saying. “It is about our future, and the future must begin with justice.”
The lawmaker emphasised that his campaign includes securing both financial and symbolic compensation, recovering looted African artifacts, and confronting neocolonial systems that continue to undermine the continent’s sovereignty.
“Reparations are not just about monetary redress,” Nwoko said. “They are about restoring dignity, rewriting distorted histories, and reclaiming Africa’s agency.”
According to Ogah, Senator Nwoko’s leadership in the reparation movement is inspired by MKO Abiola’s efforts in the early 1990s to seek restitution for the transatlantic slave trade and colonial plunder- efforts, which were tragically cut short.
“Just as MKO Abiola once stood before the world to demand justice for Africa, Senator Nwoko is now carrying that mandate with legislative instruments, global partnerships, and an actionable strategy,” Ogah stated.