A member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Mr Ahmed Satomi, has been elected President of the Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees.
He emerged during the 8th Conference of the Network, held in Abuja, and will lead the organisation for the next two years.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Satomi pledged to use his tenure to promote stronger coordination, enhance information sharing, and drive legislative action to address Africa’s pressing security and development challenges.
“With your support, with your input, we will pilot the appearance of this great network and reposition it to reflect the entire African country,” he said.
He called on African nations to reduce their dependence on Western powers and instead harness the continent’s human and natural resources to build a path towards peace, prosperity, and self-reliance.
“We have to delete the notion, the thinking that we can’t do without the West’s influence. Africa is one of the best continents in the globe. There is no reason for anyone to be poor. We have everything it takes as a continent to stand on our peaks,” Satomi declared.
He warned that unless bold steps are taken to address issues such as terrorism, food insecurity, youth unemployment, weak industrial capacity, and inherited conflicts, Africa’s vision for prosperity will remain out of reach.
The conference was hosted by the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation and the Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees.
Citing Africa’s economic outlook, Satomi said: “The GDP of Africa is expected to increase to about 4.1, which is higher than the predicted 3.2 by the world. Sub-Saharan African growth is projected to reach up to 3.5% in 2025 and further appreciate up to 4.3 in 2027.”
He noted that Africa’s rising population represents both a challenge and an opportunity. “It will interest you to know the projected increase of about 740 million people within the age of population by 2050. Then, 12 million youths enter the labour market every year. But the challenge is that only 3 million new formal jobs are currently created annually,” he cautioned.
Satomi stressed the urgent need to bridge the security-development divide, noting: “Without security there is no peace. Without peace there is no development. And what Africa needs now is development.”
He also lamented the continent’s overreliance on imports. “Everything that we are seeing here, 90% are made in Europe, Asia or other parts of Africa. This is a great challenge that is being pounded on us by our colonisers,” he said.
As president of the network, Satomi pledged to prioritise stronger cooperation among African legislatures. “One of the cardinal things I want to do first with you together is the sharing of information and making communication so easy so that we will be discussing issues affecting one another to provide solutions to our continent,” he said.
Highlighting the scale of food insecurity, he said 120 million Africans face acute hunger, with 80% of them living in conflict zones. He urged lawmakers to craft legislation that aligns with Africa’s unique circumstances and aspirations.
“Despite the challenges we have of our independence by the executive, if we are diplomatic enough, we can send messages to where our world is to go. We will enact laws that will be used by Africa, by Africa, to have an Africa of our choice,” he stated.
Citing Libya as a warning against foreign interference, he asked: “Libya has turned on its own before. Where is Libya today?”
Satomi also pointed to the continent’s economic potential and the promise of regional integration. “Africa is expected to be the second fastest growing region globally, with East Africa projected to be the most buoyant region. The African Continental Free Trade Area presents a transformative opportunity to accelerate trade, fleet integration, and development,” he said.
He called on parliamentarians and stakeholders to prioritise innovation, collaboration, and African-led solutions. “We should strengthen our coordination and information sharing in this network. Definitely, I believe we will see Africa of our choice,” he added.
PIAK