Economic sovereignty impossible without strong domestic revenue — Kalu

2026-02-24 - 00:35

By Progress Godfrey Abuja — Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has said African countries cannot achieve economic sovereignty without a robust domestic revenue base, urging nations to reduce dependence on foreign aid and politically conditional support. Kalu made the remark on Monday in Abuja at the public presentation of Beyond Aid and Fear: A Progressive Path to Africa’s Growth Resurgence, a policy book authored by Aderonke Ige and Churchill Othieno, which examines how Africa can respond to shrinking development assistance, rising protectionism, and shifting global power dynamics. Represented by his Special Adviser on International Relations, Mabel Aderonke, Kalu highlighted the low level of intra-African trade as a structural weakness, noting that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) must move from aspiration to implementation to boost scale, productivity, and shared prosperity. He said Africa’s share of global exports was about 2.2% in 2023, with intra-African trade at just 14.8%, compared with over 50% in Asia and nearly 70% in Europe. Exports under AGOA fell by roughly 15% between 2018 and 2020. “These figures are not indictments but indicators revealing structural vulnerabilities that demand a deliberate response. The first response must be fiscal sovereignty. No nation can sustainably build its future on external financing subject to shifting political winds. Aid can complement development; it cannot anchor it,” Kalu said. He added that Nigeria is pursuing fiscal consolidation, revenue enhancement, and structural reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, supported by legislative action in the 10th House of Representatives. Resident Representative of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Nigeria, Lennart Oestergaard, warned that traditional development aid was weakening due to domestic political pressures in Europe and the U.S., citing growing debates in Germany about limiting public funds to domestic use. Oestergaard noted that while this trend poses risks, it also offers opportunities for more equal partnerships that promote mutual benefit, equity, and sustainable development rather than dependency.