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Africa is well known to Americans for its beautiful culture and magnificent wildlife. However, what hasn’t been adequately covered by Western media is what Ikenna Nwobu, a Nigerian-born international student and president of the Africa Connect Association at Liberty University, highlighted in our interview regarding the current state of affairs in Africa.

Ikenna, a recent international graduate student from Liberty University in Lynchburg is well-informed about the happenings in western Africa. He emphasizes that Africa has evolved significantly over the last 40 years, transforming into a dominant sovereign state that is eager to engage in global business. 

Ikenna wants to convey that “Africa seeks an equitable trading system that benefits both parties and upholds the sovereignty of independent African nations.” He points out that western Africa has found such a deal with the BRICS organization, specifically China and Russia, asserting that “they engage in mutually beneficial business without imposing agendas that undermine African cultures, traditions, and sovereignty, as Western institutions have done in the past.” BRICS is an grouping of emerging market nations that is named after its six members, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Ikenna’s homeland, Nigeria, wields substantial influence in West Africa due to its rich natural resources, which the American government is well aware of and has benefited from for years. 

The climate in West Africa is undergoing positive changes for the benefit of its people, and America should acknowledge and respect this. The American government should exercise caution and refrain from interfering in Africa’s affairs.

It’s not the West’s role to dictate decisions for African nations; doing so only portrays America as provocateurs on the global stage, seemingly “defending Europe’s industrial climate agendas that undermine Africa’s economic growth,” Ikenna said. 

America’s foreign policy stance should show respect for African nations as independent entities capable of making their own business arrangements, even if they don’t benefit America. 

To further understand the importance of the U.S. relationship with Nigeria, Ikenna Nwobus’ scholarly paper titled “United States Foreign Policy In Africa” details the historical realities and the future implications going forward. 

 

Drew Varner, a resident of Suffolk, is a researcher and writer.