Nigerian Senator, Ned Munir Nwoko, has made case for the need for an African currency and a common language to unify the continent.
He gave the advice while speaking, on Friday night, at a power room session, “The Africa We See,” hosted by Elevate Africa at Transcorp Hilton, where he reiterated the need for an African currency and a common language and how the two steps could transform Africa’s economic and cultural landscape.
“We don’t need the Dollar and we don’t need Euros. What we need is an African currency that will enable us trade among ourselves,” Senator Ned Nwoko said.
He further explained that relying on foreign currencies continues to limit Africa’s economic potential and stifles trade between African nations.
According to the billionaire businessman and chairman of Senate committee on reparations and repatriation, a single African currency would make trade more efficient and empower the continent to stand stronger on the global stage.
Reflecting on Africa’s colonial history, the legal luminary noted that languages like English, French, and German were imposed by partitioners.
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However, the continent is home to many indigenous languages, such as Swahili, Hausa, Arabic, and Yoruba, which are spoken across multiple countries.
“We’ve seen the effects of colonialism with languages like English, French, and German imposed on us, but we have rich indigenous languages like Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba, and Arabic,” he emphasised.
He believes that adopting one of these languages as a pan-African language could strengthen unity and cultural identity.
Senator Ned Nwoko, however, noted that none of these can be achieved without strong leadership.
“We need political leaders who are willing to put Africa first, leaders who are truly passionate about building a new Africa,” he stressed.
The event was part of Elevate Africa’s ongoing series of discussions focused on shaping a vision for a more united and prosperous Africa. – EN
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