Dr. Kayode Fayemi Urges Strengthening African Institutions, Combating Xenophobia

Former Ekiti State governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi warned that Africa could face deeper instability and democratic erosion if leaders do not reinforce institutions, address poverty, and combat rising xenophobia across the continent.

Fayemi delivered the warning during his 16th Africa Day Lecture at the Thabo Mbeki Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa.

Speaking on the theme “Advancing African Unity: Sovereignty, Solidarity and the Renewal of Institutions,” he highlighted that many African countries grapple with weakening democratic governance, growing insecurity, economic dependence, and lost public trust.

He pointed out that military coups, especially in the Sahel, signal deeper governance and institutional failures rather than mere political missteps.

“Military intervention is often a symptom of deeper institutional crises. The real danger confronting many African democracies today is the erosion of public trust,” Fayemi said.

The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development argued that elections alone cannot sustain democracy where governments fail to provide security, justice, inclusion and economic opportunities.

He lamented that democracy in many African countries has become linked to “elite circulation rather than social transformation,” warning that persistent poverty, corruption and exclusion fuel citizen frustration.

Fayemi also cautioned against the growing wave of Afrophobia and xenophobia, particularly in South Africa, noting that hostility toward fellow Africans undermines Pan-African ideals and continental unity.

Referencing Africa’s role in the anti-apartheid struggle, Fayemi recalled Nigeria’s significant sacrifices in support of South Africa’s liberation.

“South Africa’s liberation was not won by South Africans alone,” he said, adding that violence against fellow Africans represents “a crisis of continental consciousness.”

While acknowledging economic hardship and unemployment, Fayemi insisted these pressures cannot justify exclusion or attacks on fellow Africans.

He called for promoting “continental citizenship,” stressing that national identity should not conflict with African solidarity.

“We must teach younger generations that being proudly Nigerian, South African, Kenyan, Ghanaian or Senegalese is entirely compatible with being proudly African,” he said.

In another development, Fayemi expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi, describing the monarch’s death as a monumental loss to Ekiti State and the nation.

In a condolence message released on Saturday, Fayemi extended his sympathies to the government and people of Ekiti State, the Ilawe Royal Family, the late monarch’s immediate family, and the entire people of Ilawe‑Ekiti.

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