Rely less on foreign aid, Wike urges African leaders

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged African leaders to reduce dependence on foreign aid and embrace transformative, homegrown leadership to unlock the continent’s potential. Speaking at the 2025 Innovate Africa Conference in Abuja, themed “Reimagining Africa’s Leadership and Investment,” Wike said Africa’s future must be built through creativity, innovation, […]

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged African leaders to reduce dependence on foreign aid and embrace transformative, homegrown leadership to unlock the continent’s potential.

Speaking at the 2025 Innovate Africa Conference in Abuja, themed “Reimagining Africa’s Leadership and Investment,” Wike said Africa’s future must be built through creativity, innovation, and indigenous effort—not donor conferences.

“Development cannot be donated; it must be built. Africa must no longer be defined by grants but by ideas and innovation,” he said.

Wike noted that with 70 per cent of its population under 30, Africa holds a “revolution waiting to happen.”

He said the continent’s strength lies not in its resources but in its people, urging investment in infrastructure and human capital to unleash youth potential.

Applauding the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), he described it as a step toward economic self-reliance and replacing aid with trade.

Wike blamed Africa’s slow progress on poor leadership and called for a shift from “transactional” to “transformational” governance rooted in courage, service, and accountability.