Africa Does Not Wish to Replace Old Shackles With New Ones, Says Tinubu In First UNGA Address… 

President Bola Tinubu gave his inaugural address at the United Nations General Assembly in the small hours of Wednesday, in which he championed the need for Africa to surmount foreign exploitation to attain prosperity through democratic ideals. 

“As for Africa, we seek to be neither appendage nor patron. We do not wish to replace old shackles with new ones,” he said during his address on the first day of the 78th session of the assembly held at the UN Headquarters.

He spoke to other heads of government, hours after similar addresses including those of US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

The President spoke on the theme ‘Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and Its Sustainable Development Goals Towards Peace, Prosperity, Progress, and Sustainability for All’.

Noting that failures in good governance have hindered Africa, Tinubu decried that broken promises, unfair treatment and outright exploitation from abroad also exacted a heavy toll on Africans’ ability to progress.

Chronicling the United Nations, Nigeria’s leader detailed the role played by the Second World War, saying the period was a highwater mark for trust in global institutions and the belief that humanity had learned the necessary lessons to move forward in global solidarity and harmony.

According to Tinubu, global institutions, other nations and their private sector actors must see African development as a priority – not just for Africa but in their interests as well.

The President said due to both longstanding internal and external factors, Nigeria’s and Africa’s economic structures have been skewed to impede development, industrial expansion, job creation, and the equitable distribution of wealth.