By: Ashiadey Dotse
President of the Republic of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, has declared that Africa cannot achieve true sovereignty without the full involvement of its diaspora, stressing that Africans living abroad are central to the continent’s political, economic and cultural future.
Speaking at the Diaspora Summit 2025 on Friday December 19, 2025, President Gnassingbé said Africa must move away from the margins of global affairs and reclaim its place as a hub of creation, stability and initiative. He described the diaspora as a powerful strategic force that Africa can no longer afford to treat as distant or secondary.
President Gnassingbé said the diaspora generates wealth, knowledge and innovation that often go beyond traditional development aid. For this reason, he argued that reparations must include a strong diaspora dimension, including joint Africa–diaspora funds, appropriate legal status, easier investment opportunities and the promotion of cultural and scientific knowledge from Africans abroad.
He warned that without mobilising the diaspora, Africa would deny itself an incomparable strength the skills, ideas and commitment of its people living outside the continent. He stressed that no financial, cultural or digital sovereignty strategy can succeed without this support.
President Gnassingbé stressed that Africa is not asking for charity, but for fairness, recognition and justice. He described the Diaspora Summit as a rare opportunity to build a lasting alliance between Africa and its global diaspora, one that will help the continent take full control of its future.
