Julius Malema, leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has stressed that Africa’s economic progress hinges on decisive moves toward continental unity.
Speaking at the 2025 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Enugu, Malema urged the creation of a single African president, army, parliament, and currency — institutions he said are vital to break free from lingering neo-colonial dominance.
He said the integration will unlock economic growth by removing artificial borders and building a shared beneficial continental market.
The idea of “one Africa, one currency” has been a longstanding ambition within the African Union (AU) framework, aimed at achieving deeper economic integration across the continent.
However, despite decades of planning and some progress at regional levels, implementation has faced significant delays and challenges regarding economic convergence, political will, and sovereignty concerns.
Inwardly, Malema said such continental unification would help erase xenophobia, replacing the notion of foreignness with a common African identity and destiny.
He called on Africans to rise above national borders and commit to the ideals of pan-Africanism, while encouraging stronger Nigeria-South Africa ties.
Malema noted Nigeria’s role in ending apartheid in South Africa, adding that the history can be improved by economic cooperation so both countries are at the forefront of rebuilding and re-industrialising the African economy.
