African leaders have been urged to safeguard the continent’s sovereign autonomy, amid warnings that failure to do so could leave Africa perpetually dependent on external powers despite its vast natural and human resources.
The call was made on Wednesday at a strategic policy workshop held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of General Murtala Muhammed, Nigeria’s former Head of State.
The workshop, themed “Has Africa Come of Age? Murtala Muhammed’s Pan-African Vision 50 Years After,” was jointly organised by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.
In his welcome remarks, the Director-General of the NIIA, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, said Africa must reclaim its assertiveness on the global stage, stressing that the continent is no longer an appendage of dominant world powers but an emerging centre of influence in an increasingly multipolar world.
Reflecting on General Murtala Muhammed’s historic declaration that “Africa has come of age,” delivered on January 11, 1976, at an extraordinary summit of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, Osaghae noted that the statement underscored the need for Africans to confront their challenges using homegrown solutions.
He warned that continued dependence on foreign aid and external prescriptions would not produce sustainable outcomes for the continent.
“When General Murtala said Africa had come of age, he was telling the world not to see Africa as an appendage or a copycat,” Osaghae said. “It was a declaration of strategic autonomy — that Africa has its own voice, its own agency, and must follow paths determined by Africans, for Africans.
“That is why today, the call for African solutions to African problems resonates more strongly than ever.”
In her remarks, Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, Chief Executive Officer of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, paid tribute to her father’s unwavering commitment to Pan-Africanism, noting that his leadership elevated Nigeria’s standing and amplified Africa’s voice in global affairs.
She described General Murtala Muhammed as a central figure in Africa’s liberation struggle, whose declaration that “Africa has come of age” remains a powerful rallying cry for unity, independence, and collective self-determination.
According to Muhammed-Oyebode, the workshop was organised to inspire young Africans to pursue careers in diplomacy, governance, and international development, in order to confront the continent’s pressing political and economic challenges.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Professor of Political Science and former Nigerian Minister of External Affairs, described the late Head of State as “a man of several parts” who restored national pride and demonstrated uncommon commitment to governance.
Akinyemi emphasised the relevance of the workshop’s theme, noting that Africa must undertake honest self-evaluation as it navigates a rapidly changing global order.
“To say that Africa has come of age is not a declaration of perfection, but a recognition of responsibility,” he said. “It demands that we critically assess our political maturity, economic resilience, institutional strength, and cultural confidence.
“Coming of age requires confronting unfinished business from independence and asserting Africa’s clarity, confidence, and purpose in global affairs.”
