Renowned Kenyan lawyer, scholar and Pan-Africanist, Patrick Lumumba, has called on African nations to unite and free themselves from colonial-era mindsets if the continent must secure its future and protect its vast natural and economic assets.
Lumumba made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, held at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Conference Hall in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Speaking on the theme, “Sustainable National Assets Protection in Africa: Opportunities, Risks and Regulatory Pathways,” Lumumba argued that Africa’s quest for sustainable development and asset protection would remain elusive without genuine unity among its peoples and nations.
“We have a duty to secure our future, but we must start by being united. It is only in unity that we can protect our assets,” he said.
According to him, conversations about Africa’s future must begin with a critical reassessment of the continent’s identity and historical experiences, particularly the enduring effects of colonialism on governance, development and self-perception.
“To talk about our future, we must find out who we are and decolonise our minds because Africans were wired to fail by the colonial masters,” Lumumba stated.
The event, which had as its theme, “Securing the Future,” attracted prominent personalities, including former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, as well as legal practitioners, security experts and policymakers.
Also speaking during a plenary session on “National Assets Protection: Nigeria’s Shared Responsibility,” Ogbuku stressed the importance of investing in education as a strategic tool for safeguarding the future.
He noted that efforts to secure the future must be rooted in an honest appraisal of past mistakes and societal challenges.
“In securing the future, we must also think of the past because we have missed our way and there is a need to rediscover our purpose,” he said.
The NDDC chief expressed concern over the growing erosion of societal values, attributing part of the problem to negative influences from digital and online platforms.
“We must invest in the right education for our children. Western culture has polluted our society, and only the right education can save our country,” Ogbuku added.
Chairman of the session and former President, Goodluck Jonathan, echoed the call for reforms in the education sector, stressing the need to equip younger generations with the skills and values required to navigate future challenges.
“We have to prepare our children for the bright lights of the future,” Jonathan said.
In his remarks, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawie, urged the Nigerian Bar Association to strengthen professional discipline and uphold ethical standards within the legal profession.
Describing Lumumba as a leading voice for accountability, good governance and Pan-African development, Diri said the theme of the Law Week underscored the collective responsibility of governments, institutions and citizens to build a just, equitable and sustainable society.
“The theme of the Law Week, ‘Securing the Future,’ is both timely and profound. It speaks to the collective responsibility of leaders, institutions and citizens to build a society founded on justice, equity, accountability and sustainable development,” the governor stated.
Earlier, Chairman of the NBA Yenagoa Branch, Clement Kekemeke, challenged legal practitioners to move beyond routine legal practice and contribute meaningfully to national development and social transformation.
