Rasheeda Yahaya
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, LL.D, CFR has proposed three actionable pillars for a renewed European Union, EU-Africa strategic partnership.
Speaking virtually during the Meeting of the Conference of Delegation Chairs (CDC) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on Wednesday on how the European Union Can Strengthen Diplomatic Channels with Africa including through Parliamentary Diplomacy, Kalu emphasized the need for the EU to elevate the African Union as the primary interlocutor, pivot Global Gateway investments toward value addition, and recalibrate security focus toward development and governance.
The proposal aims to address concerns that the EU’s engagement with Africa has been perceived as transactional, focusing too narrowly on short-term security, migration control, and critical mineral extraction.
Kalu expressed concern that if tangible industrial transformation is not delivered, it may lead Nigeria and other African nations to explore partnerships with countries offering significant infrastructure investments with fewer perceived conditionalities.
He said: “Europe must elevate parliamentary diplomacy as a strategic lever. Let me propose three actionable pillars for a renewed EU-Africa strategic partnership. First, elevate the African Union as the primary interlocutor. The EU must genuinely integrate African interests into policy-making through full alignment with the AU’s Agenda 2063, rather than merely consulting one established positions, there is a need to engage with all elected governments and support African-led peace and security initiatives, such as funding AU-mandated peacekeeping missions.
“Second, pivot Global Gateway investments toward value addition.
We must move from exporting raw cocoa to producing finished
chocolate, from extracting lithium and cobalt to manufacturing batteries
on African soil.
“Third, recalibrate security focus toward development and governance. The current approach is overly focused on military capacity building, which fails to address the structural root causes of instability. The most effective long-term security strategy involves substantial investment in youth employment, social services, and climate change adaptation. Programmes like the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria, which strengthen legislative and judicial capacity, remain vital for democratic resilience and electoral reform leading up to 2027.”
The Deputy Speaker who acknowledged the recent successful inauguration of Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Trade and Investment Dialogue in Abuja however bemoaned the non official formalization of the Joint Parliamentary Committee or the Parliamentary Track upgrade, saying that the delay carries significant political implications.
“While we acknowledge the successful convening of the inaugural
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Trade and Investment Dialogue in Abuja on
September 30, 2025, with the second dialogue scheduled for Brussels in
2026, the proposed legislative mechanisms remain in the aspirational
stage. As of late 2025, there has been no official formalization of the
Joint Parliamentary Committee or the Parliamentary Track upgrade. This delay carries significant political implications”, Kalu said.
