Nigeria – Thoughts on EU-Africa Global Affairs

Youth, Future, and the African Rebirth

Being a Speech Delivered by Collins Nweke as Guest of Honour and Founding Patron of The AfrikaFora, at Nzuko Africa 2026, Paris, France on 30 May 2026

Your Excellency, Founder & CEO The AfrikaFora, Madam Winifred Uloaku Gaillard

Incoming Grand Patron The AfrikaFora, Chief Ben C. Etiaba

Distinguished guests

Members of the African Diaspora

Young leaders

Ladies and Gentlemen

It is both a privilege and a deeply personal honour to stand before you today at Nzuko Africa 2026.

When I was invited to speak on the theme “Youth, Future, and the African Rebirth,” I at once recognised that this is not merely a conference theme. It is perhaps the defining question of our generation. And true to character, The AfrikaFora has located it within the context of Nzuko Africa 2026 in celebration of Africa Day.

The future of Africa will not be decided in conference halls alone.

It will be decided by the quality of our youth.

It will be determined by the courage of our ideas.

And it will be shaped by whether we choose hope over cynicism, action over complaint, and vision over nostalgia.

Because every generation inherits an Africa. But only a few generations are called upon to reinvent Africa.

I believe ours is one of them. And in more ways than one, The AfrikaFora epitomises it.

Africa’s Greatest Resource Is Not Under the Ground

For decades, the world has described Africa through the language of resources.

They speak of our oil. Our gas. Our minerals. Our fertile land. Our strategic location.

But I have come to believe that Africa’s greatest resource is not beneath the soil.

It is above it. It is the African youth.

The young woman in Lagos building a technology startup.

The young researcher in Nairobi developing solutions to local challenges.

The young entrepreneur in Abidjan.

The young creative in Johannesburg.

The young engineer in Kigali.

The young diaspora professional in Paris, Brussels, London, New York, Toronto, or Dubai.

Africa’s future is not hidden in its mines.

It is walking on its streets, from Kinshasa to Kigali.

It is sitting in our universities.

It is logging onto digital platforms.

It is waiting for an opportunity.

The question before us is simple:

Will we invest in this generation enough to allow it to flourish?

The Rebirth We Seek

When we speak of African rebirth, we must be clear about what we mean.

A rebirth is not a return to the past.

It is the creation of something new.

Africa does not need romantic nostalgia.

Nor does it need imported identities.

Africa needs confidence.

Confidence to innovate.

Confidence to trade.

Confidence to compete.

Confidence to collaborate.

Confidence to lead.

The African rebirth must therefore be economic, intellectual, technological, cultural, and institutional.

It must be a rebirth built not merely on political slogans but on measurable opportunities.

Because no young person can eat rhetoric.

No graduate can build a future on promises alone.

And no continent can prosper without creating pathways for its youth to participatemeaningfully in the economy.

African Youth & Economic Diplomacy

As many of you know, this year I begin a global tour around my recently published book, Economic Diplomacy of the Diaspora.

In every city I visit, from Europe to Africa and beyond, one question inevitably emerges:

“What role should young Africans play in shaping Africa’s future?”

The answer lies at the very heart of the book.

The central argument of Economic Diplomacy of the Diaspora is simple:

Diaspora communities are not merely remittance senders.

They are bridges.

Bridges of knowledge.

Bridges of capital.

Bridges of innovation.

Bridges of culture.

Bridges of opportunity.

And when those bridges are deliberately connected to Africa’s development aspirations, extraordinary things become possible.

But there is an important evolution of that idea.

The future of diaspora engagement is not my generation.

It is yours.

The next phase of Africa’s economic diplomacy will be led by digitally connected, globally educated, technologically fluent young Africans.

Young people who understand both Africa and the world.

Young people who can move comfortably between Lagos and London, Kigali and Brussels, Accra and Toronto, Nairobi and Silicon Valley.

Young people who can transform identity into influence and influence into development.

The African rebirth will not happen despite its youth.

It will happen because of its youth.

A New Social Contract

But let me speak frankly.

Young Africans cannot carry the burden of Africa’s future alone.

Governments have responsibilities.

Institutions have responsibilities.

The private sector has responsibilities.

The Diaspora has responsibilities.

And elders have responsibilities.

Every generation owes the next generation more than advice.

It owes them opportunity.

We cannot continue asking young people to believe in a future that we ourselves have failed to prepare.

The African rebirth requires a new social contract.

One that prioritises education.

Rewards innovation.

Encourages entrepreneurship.

Protects merit.

Strengthens institutions.

And creates an environment where talent can thrive regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, social background, or geography.

The Power of Passing the Baton

Today is particularly emotional for me. As Founding Patron of The AfrikaFora, I have had the privilege of watching an idea become a movement.

I have seen commitment transform into community.

I have seen vision become impact. And today, I formally step aside from that role.

But let me be clear. Stepping aside is not stepping out.

It is renewal.

It is continuity.

It is faith in the future.

No institution survives if it depends on one individual.

Strong institutions endure because leadership is transferred with grace, trust, and purpose.

That is why I am delighted that the baton passes into the capable hands of our new Grand Patron, Chief Ben C. Etiaba.

Chief Etiaba has demonstrated repeatedly, in different spheres of service and leadership, an exceptional ability to receive a baton and carry it forward with dignity, wisdom, and results.

I have every confidence that under his stewardship, The AfrikaFora will not merely continue.

It will grow.

It will flourish.

And it will reach heights beyond what we originally imagined.

That is how progress works.

Each generation builds a bridge and invites the next generation to extend it.

A Message to Young Africans

To the young people listening today:

Do not wait for permission to dream.

Do not wait for perfect conditions.

Do not wait for governments to solve every problem.

Africa’s future belongs to those willing to build it.

Be ambitious enough to compete globally.

Be proud enough to remain connected to Africa.

Be innovative enough to create solutions.

And be courageous enough to challenge systems that no longer serve the common good.

The future is not something that happens to you.

The future is something you create.

Conclusion: Africa’s Finest Century

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I remain optimistic.

Not because Africa’s challenges are small.

But because Africa’s possibilities are enormous.

I have travelled widely.

I have worked across diplomacy, governance, business, media, and civil society.

And everywhere I go, I encounter evidence that Africa’s moment is not behind us.

It is ahead of us.

The rebirth of Africa will not be delivered by destiny.

People will deliver it.

By visionaries.

By innovators.

By entrepreneurs.

By scholars.

By patriots.

By diaspora communities.

And above all, by young Africans who refuse to accept that the future must resemble the past.

Let us therefore leave this gathering committed to one shared mission:

To build an Africa where talent matters more than circumstance.

Where opportunity matters more than privilege.

Where institutions outlive personalities.

Where leadership creates successors.

And where every young African can confidently say:

“The future is not somewhere else. The future is here. And I am part of building it.”

That is the Africa worth believing in.

That is the Africa worth building.

And that is the Africa whose rebirth has already begun.

Thank you.

God bless Africa.
God bless the African Diaspora.
And God bless the generation that will complete Africa’s rebirth.

Collins Nweke is Founding Patron, The AfrikaFora and Author, Economic Diplomacy of the Diaspora

AKU LUO UNO

Reimagining Diaspora Wealth as Strategic Capital for Homeland Development

Abstract for a keynote speech at the Imo Community Europe 2026 Annual Convention in Freiburg, Germany on Saturday 2 May 2026

by Collins Nweke

The Igbo philosophical construct aku luo uno, literally translated as “may wealth reach home” has long served as a moral compass guiding the relationship between individual success and communal responsibility. Historically, it affirmed a simple but powerful proposition: prosperity achieves its fullest meaning when it is reinvested in one’s place of origin. In contemporary times, however, the meaning of aku luo uno demands both preservation and reinterpretation.

This presentation situates aku luo uno within the broader framework of diaspora economic diplomacy, arguing that what was once a cultural expectation must now evolve into a structured development strategy. The modern Igbo diaspora is no longer defined solely by remittances or symbolic homecoming projects, but by its capacity to mobilise capital, knowledge, networks, and institutional influence across borders.

Drawing from the central thesis of Economic Diplomacy of the Diaspora (Nweke, Collins, 2026) the presentation advances three interconnected arguments.

First, that diaspora wealth must be understood not merely in financial terms, but as a composite of economic, intellectual, and relational capital.

Second, that the effectiveness of aku luo uno depends on moving from fragmented individual efforts to coordinated, scalable interventions, through investment platforms, policy engagement, and partnerships with credible institutions.

Third, that sustainable impact requires a shift from consumption-driven remittances to production-oriented investments capable of generating jobs, infrastructure, and long-term value within Imo and Southeast Nigeria.

The discussion will also confront the tensions embedded in the philosophy: the pressure of expectation on diaspora individuals, the risks of poorly structured investments, and the governance gaps that often undermine trust. In doing so, it seeks to move the conversation from obligation to strategy, from sentiment to systems.

Ultimately, aku luo uno is reframed not as a nostalgic ideal, but as a forward-looking doctrine, one that positions the diaspora as a decisive actor in shaping the economic future of its homeland. The question is no longer whether wealth should return home, but how it can do so in ways that are intelligent, impactful, and enduring.

Collins Nweke

Ostend, Belgium | www.collinsnweke.eu | admin@collinsnweke.eu

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THE SPEECH 🎤

Aku Luo Uno: When Wealth Finds Its Way Home

Distinguished leaders of the Imo Community Europe,

Your Excellencies, honoured guests,

Ndi Imo, umunne’m,

There are certain phrases in our Igbo language that do not merely communicate. They command.

They carry memory, expectation, and judgment all at once.

Aku luo uno is one of them.

It is not just a proverb. It is not even just a philosophy.

It is a quiet but firm question that follows every Igbo person, wherever they go in the world:

When your wealth has grown… will it remember the road home?

For generations, our people have understood success in a way that is both deeply personal and profoundly communal. A man may build towers abroad, earn titles, command influence. But there is a simple test that awaits him at home. Not harsh, not loud, but unmistakably clear:

Who have you lifted? What have you built? What remains of you here?

And so we grew up hearing and believing that if a person is known all over the world but not known in his hometown, then he is, in truth, not yet known.

That is the moral architecture of aku luo uno.

But today, standing here in Europe, we must ask ourselves an honest question:

What does aku luo uno mean in our time? What imperatives of our time does aku luo uno denote?

Because the world has changed. And so must our understanding.

From Obligation to Strategy

In the past, aku luo uno often expressed itself in visible, immediate ways.

A house built in the village.

Support for extended family.

Community projects: wells, town halls, scholarships.

These were noble. They still are.

But today, they are no longer sufficient.

Because the scale of the challenge at home has changed. And the capacity of the diaspora has also changed.

We are no longer a scattered people sending money home.

We are professionals, entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers, investors, innovators.

We sit in boardrooms, universities, institutions, and governments across Europe and beyond.

Which means this:

Our wealth is no longer only what we earn. It is what we know, who we know, and what we can influence.

So aku luo uno must evolve, from a moral obligation into a strategic instrument.

What Does It Mean for Wealth to Truly “Come Home”?

Let me suggest three shifts.

First: From Money to Capital

When we say aku, we often think of money.

But money alone does not transform societies.

Capital is broader.

It includes:

Knowledge
Skills
Networks
Access
Credibility

If you bring money home without systems, it disappears.

If you bring knowledge and structure, it multiplies.

So the real question is not: How much have you sent home?

But: What have you built that can outlive you?

Second: From Individual Effort to Collective Impact

One of our strengths as Igbo people is individual enterprise.

But one of our limitations is fragmentation.

Too many of us are doing small, disconnected things.

Building in isolation. Investing without coordination.

Meanwhile, the problems we seek to solve: industrialisation, healthcare, education, infrastructure,… are not small problems. They require scale.

So aku luo uno in our time must become collective.

Not just:

my project

But:

our platform

Not just:

my success story

But:

our shared transformation

We must begin to think in terms of:

Diaspora investment clusters
Structured partnerships with credible institutions
Long-term projects, not one-off interventions

Because scattered drops of water cannot build a river. As we talk of aku luo uno, let us remember also that: anyu kosia mamili onu, ogba ofufu. Do I need to explain further? Mba nu!

Third: From Consumption to Production

Let us be candid with ourselves.

A significant portion of what we send home is consumed.

Celebrations. Buildings that do not produce value.

Short-term relief without long-term impact.

But no society develops through consumption.

Development comes from production:

Businesses that create jobs
Systems that generate value
Investments that compound over time

So when wealth returns home, it must not only be seen. It must be felt economically.

It must employ people.

It must create opportunity.

It must shift the structure of the local economy.

That is when aku has truly luo uno.

The Difficult Truths We Must Confront

But let us not romanticise this journey.

There are real tensions.

Many in the diaspora have invested and lost:

to poor governance, weak institutions, corruption, inefficiency, broken trust… It is a long list!

Others feel overwhelmed by expectations:

as though success abroad automatically makes them responsible for everything at home.

And some have simply withdrawn:

choosing distance over disappointment.

These are not trivial concerns. They are real. They have affected real Ndigbo. They still affect Umu Imo…

But here is the truth:

No society develops in perfect conditions.

Society develops because people decide to build despite imperfection.

The answer is not withdrawal.

The answer is structure, collaboration, and smarter engagement.

A New Interpretation of Aku Luo Uno

So perhaps it is time to reinterpret the proverb.

Maybe aku luo uno should no longer be understood as:

“Bring your wealth home.”

But rather:

“Let your wealth find intelligent pathways home.”

Pathways that are:

Structured
Scalable
Sustainable

Pathways that transform not just families, but communities.

Not just communities, but systems.

Conclusion: The Road Home Is Still Calling

Ndi Imo, umunne m,

No matter how far we travel, there is something about home that does not travel with us.

It waits.

And in that waiting, there is a quiet expectation. Not of charity. But of contribution.

The question before us is not whether we have succeeded abroad.

Many of us have.

The question is:

Will that success remain personal…

or will it become purposeful?

Because in the end, aku luo uno is not about geography.

It is about legacy.

It is about ensuring that when our story is told,

it is not only said that we went far…

But that something meaningful followed us back home.

Thank you. Dâlu nú Umu Imo.
Jisinu Ike Ndigbo!

Zero-Tariff China Access can be a Strategic Opening for Nigeria if Matched with Domestic Reform

In a Worker’s Day 2026 interview, incidentally the same day that Zero-Tariff China Access for Africa took effect, South African Broadcasting Service radio, had me on to discuss the implications of the new trade regime for Nigeria.

Zero-Tariff China Access essentially means that a wide range of African exports can now enter China duty-free. For Nigeria, this is both an opportunity and a test of readiness.

On the opportunity side, it potentially opens up the world’s second-largest consumer market to Nigerian products like agricultural goods, solid minerals, leather, textiles, and even some manufactured items. If properly leveraged, Nigeria could diversify away from oil and earn more non-oil export revenue, which is critical for economic stability.

However, and this is the critical point, zero tariffs do not automatically translate into increased exports. Nigeria’s challenge has never really been market access. It has been production capacity, quality standards, and export logistics. China is a highly competitive market with strict phytosanitary and industrial standards. Many Nigerian producers are not yet positioned to meet those consistently.

There is also a structural concern: without a deliberate export strategy, Nigeria risks deepening its role as a raw material supplier, rather than moving up the value chain. So instead of exporting processed cocoa, for example, we may continue exporting raw cocoa while importing finished goods at a higher value.

So, in summary, Zero-Tariff China Access is a strategic opening, but it will only benefit Nigeria if it is matched with domestic reforms: improving infrastructure, supporting exporters, ensuring standards compliance, and aligning trade policy with industrial policy.

If Nigeria gets that alignment right, this could be transformative. If not, it risks becoming another missed opportunity, I told Innocent Samosa, Business Reporter at SABS Radio here

https://omny.fm/shows/business-africa/china-grants-africa-zero-tariff-access-to-all-africa-countries

The UK-Nigeria Migration Pact: Strategic Diplomacy or a Missed Opportunity for Human Capital?

The recent “strengthening” of the Migration, Justice, and Home Affairs (MJHA) partnership between the United Kingdom and Nigeria marks a pivotal, yet contentious, moment in Afro-British relations. Billed as a “landmark” in security cooperation, the deal introduces the “UK Letter”, dressed up as a mechanism allowing the UK Home Office to bypass traditional passport bottlenecks for removals, alongside a “Fusion Cell” to combat visa fraud.

While the optics suggest a robust defense of sovereign borders, a deeper policy analysis reveals a framework that is increasingly out of sync with the global shift toward Economic Migration Management. For a partnership that claims to be “forward-looking,” it remains stubbornly anchored in the mechanics of removal rather than the dynamics of human capital.

The Asymmetry of the “Security-First” Model

On the surface, the MJHA is presented as a reciprocal arrangement. However, the benefits are fundamentally asymmetrical. The UK gains a fast-track solution to a domestic political pressure point; the visibility of “failed” migration; while Nigeria receives vague assurances regarding business visa streamlining.

As a migration advocate, one must ask: is Nigeria merely serving as an enforcement arm for the UK Home Office? By facilitating the removal of thousands without addressing the structural drivers of their movement, we are treating the symptoms of a global economic disparity while ignoring the disease.

Shifting the Paradigm: Lessons from the ‘Arraigo’ and ‘Chancenkarte’

To move toward a more statesmanlike discourse, we must look to European neighbours who are pioneering more sophisticated, “rooting-based” models.

· Spain’s Arraigo (Social Rooting): Spain has recognized that after two to three years of residency, an individual is no longer just a “migrant” but a community member. Their model allows for the regularisation of status through employment, turning a “legal liability” into a Social Security-contributing asset.

· Germany’s Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card): Germany is moving toward a points-based flexibility that allows migrants to “switch lanes” (Spurwechsel) from irregular status to work permits if they possess the skills the German economy lacks.

These are not “soft” policies. They are economically literate ones. They prioritise the fiscal contribution of the individual over the prohibitive cost of deportation flights and diplomatic friction.

A Blueprint for “Migration for Development”

Nigeria should not be a passive “returning partner.” A truly strategic partnership would advocate for a Global Skill Partnership (GSP).

In this model, the UK would invest in Nigerian vocational training, creating a “dual-track” system. One group of trainees remains to strengthen the Nigerian domestic market, while the other is granted a legal, streamlined pathway to the UK. This transforms the “brain drain” into a “brain gain,” ensuring that Nigeria’s human capital is developed, not just depleted. The initiative, SkillUp Nigeria can be a credible partner in this model.

Furthermore, we must discuss Regularisation for Remittance. With remittances to Nigeria exceeding $20 billion annually, the economic stability of millions of Nigerian households depends on the diaspora. Instead of mass removals, the UK should offer “probationary status” to non-criminal overstayers. This keeps the wheels of the Nigerian economy turning and saves the UK taxpayer the immense cost of enforcement.

In the final analysis, Nigeria and the UK must move from enforcement to engagement. The 2026 UK-Nigeria pact is a functional tool for border security, but it is not a vision for a shared future. If the UK and Nigeria are to be true strategic partners, they must move beyond the “UK Letter.”

We must demand a transition from Security-led Migration to Investment-led Migration. Security is a prerequisite for order, but human capital is the prerequisite for prosperity. A modern, statesmanlike approach would value the Nigerian migrant not by the speed of their departure, but by the potential of their contribution.

Collins Nweke is the author of Economic Diplomacy of the Diaspora (2026) and Senior International Trade Consultant. He writes from Brussels, Belgium.

The Brussels Mission of Nigeria Must Become a Command Centre for Economic Diplomacy

by Collins Nweke

Belgium’s logistics power, Luxembourg’s financial strength, and the regulatory influence of the European Union make Brussels one of Nigeria’s most strategically important diplomatic postings. The challenge for Nigeria’s new envoy is to convert presence into economic and geopolitical influence. Because diplomacy today is no longer conducted only across negotiating tables, but across networks of trade, finance, technology, and people.

Diplomacy in the twenty-first century is no longer only about representation. It is increasingly about economic positioning. Nowhere illustrates this reality more clearly than Nigeria’s diplomatic mission to Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and the European Union.

For many Nigerians, Brussels may appear as just another European capital where Nigeria maintains an embassy. In reality, it is one of the most strategically consequential diplomatic platforms Nigeria possesses anywhere in the world.

From trade logistics to financial capital and regulatory influence, the Brussels mission sits at the intersection of three powerful European systems that directly shape Nigeria’s economic future.

Brussels as Nigeria’s Triple Strategic Gateway

Nigeria’s envoy in Brussels operates within what may best be described as a triple gateway to Europe.

Belgium: Europe’s Logistics Platform

Belgium hosts one of the most important maritime trade hubs in the world. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges serves as a key entry point for goods moving into the European market.

For Nigeria, this port represents more than maritime infrastructure. It is a strategic corridor through which Nigerian exports, from agricultural products to petrochemicals, enter the broader European economy.

A proactive diplomatic strategy in Belgium can therefore directly influence Nigeria’s trade competitiveness in Europe.

Luxembourg: Global Capital Markets

Luxembourg, despite its small size, is one of the world’s most influential financial centres. It hosts one of the largest global investment fund industries and plays a leading role in sustainable finance.

As Nigeria seeks to diversify its economy and finance infrastructure development, Luxembourg offers access to sophisticated financial instruments including green bonds, blended finance structures, and climate investment platforms.

For Nigeria, the Luxembourg dimension of the Brussels mission represents an opportunity to connect diplomacy with global capital markets.

The European Union: Regulatory Powerhouse

The third pillar of the mission is the European Union itself.

EU policy decisions increasingly shape the rules governing global trade, digital markets, climate compliance, and supply-chain sustainability. Measures such as the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, for example, will have direct implications for African exporters.

Nigeria’s presence in Brussels must therefore go beyond ceremonial diplomacy. It must become an active platform for regulatory engagement and strategic dialogue with European institutions.

From Protocol Diplomacy to Economic Statecraft

If Nigeria is to maximise the strategic value of this mission, the embassy in Brussels must function less as a traditional diplomatic outpost and more as a hub of economic diplomacy.

Three areas deserve particular attention.

The Creative Economy Opportunity

Nigeria’s cultural industries, which include film, music, fashion, and digital media, have become global brands with strong commercial potential.

These sectors should be positioned within European markets not simply as cultural expressions but as high-growth investment ecosystems capable of attracting venture capital, distribution partnerships, and technology collaboration…

Economic diplomacy must learn to speak the language of culture as commerce.

Energy Transition and Climate Finance

Europe’s green transition is reshaping global energy markets. For Nigeria, the strategic challenge is to balance its role as a major natural gas supplier while also accelerating domestic renewable energy capacity.

Luxembourg’s financial ecosystem could provide a platform for structuring green financing instruments capable of supporting Nigeria’s long-term energy transition.

Handled strategically, diplomacy can help Nigeria convert climate pressure into investment opportunity.

Harnessing Diaspora Networks

Nigeria’s diaspora across Europe remains one of the country’s most underutilised strategic assets.

Highly skilled Nigerian professionals operate across European institutions, research centres, financial markets, and technology companies. Their networks represent a form of diplomatic capital that traditional embassies often fail to mobilise.

A forward-looking mission should treat the diaspora not merely as citizens abroad but as partners in economic diplomacy.

Five Strategic Priorities for Nigeria’s Brussels Mission

1. Trade Corridors

Deepen commercial engagement through the Port of Antwerp-Bruges as a gateway for Nigerian exports into European markets.

2. Financial Diplomacy

Leverage Luxembourg’s leadership in investment funds and green finance to support Nigeria’s infrastructure and renewable energy ambitions.

3. Regulatory Engagement

Strengthen Nigeria’s presence within EU policy conversations on trade, digital regulation, climate policy, and supply chains.

4. Creative Economy Promotion

Position Nigeria’s cultural industries—film, music, fashion, and digital media—as investment opportunities rather than cultural showcases.

5. Diaspora Economic Power

Treat the Nigerian diaspora in Europe as strategic partners capable of opening doors in business, academia, and policy networks.

The Narrative Challenge

Despite Nigeria’s economic scale and cultural influence, perceptions within Europe are often shaped by narratives centred on migration, governance challenges, and regional insecurity.

If Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement remains reactive, these narratives risk defining the entire relationship.

The more strategic approach is to reposition Nigeria as what it increasingly is: Africa’s largest economy, a major cultural exporter, and a critical geopolitical actor in West Africa.

This shift requires deliberate storytelling, sustained engagement with European policymakers, and strong partnerships with think tanks, business communities, and civil society networks.

A theme I explore in my recent book, Economic Diplomacy of the Diaspora, is that diplomacy in the twenty-first century must expand beyond state institutions to include networks of entrepreneurs, professionals, and communities operating across borders. Brussels provides precisely such an environment, where formal diplomacy intersects with business, finance, and diaspora influence. For Nigeria, leveraging these networks may prove just as important as the traditional tools of statecraft.

A Strategic Opportunity

Nigeria’s mission in Brussels stands at the crossroads of trade, finance, regulation, and diplomacy.

In many ways, it is less a conventional embassy and more a strategic command centre for Nigeria’s engagement with Europe.

The challenge now is to ensure that Nigeria’s presence in Brussels reflects the scale of its ambitions. When Europe debates Africa’s economic future, Nigeria should not merely be represented in the room. Nigeria should help shape the conversation.

Because in the diplomacy of the twenty-first century, influence is not measured only by embassies and protocol, but by the ability to turn networks into opportunity.

And few places offer Nigeria more opportunity to do so than Brussels.

Diplomacy, Perception, and the Berlin Question

by Collins Nweke

I have read with great interest the thoughtful intervention by my longtime friend and associate, Frank Ofili, concerning the reported appointment of Femi Fani-Kayode as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany. His analysis rightly situates the issue within the broader intersection of diplomacy, history, and perception.

Many watchers will largely align with the thrust of Frank Ofili’s argument captioned FFK As Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany: Diplomacy or Contradiction?

This is not a question of personalities or partisan loyalties. It is a question of diplomatic calibration the essence of which is the careful alignment between a nation’s envoy and the political sensitivities of the host country. In modern diplomacy, perception can sometimes matter as much as policy.

Germany’s Historical Sensitivity

Germany’s foreign policy posture cannot be understood outside the shadow of the Holocaust. Since the end of the Second World War, successive German governments have framed their relationship with Israel as a moral responsibility. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel captured this sentiment when she told the Knesset that Israel’s security formed part of Germany’s raison d’état. Her successor, Olaf Scholz, has reiterated this doctrine repeatedly.

For Berlin, support for Israel is not merely an element of foreign policy; it is embedded within the country’s historical conscience. It follows that diplomats posted to Berlin must operate within that unique political atmosphere. Any envoy whose past public commentary appears sharply critical of Israel may therefore face unusually intense scrutiny from German political circles, the media, and civil society.

How Berlin Might React

If the appointment proceeds, three arenas in Germany are likely to react quickly:

1. The German Media

Germany’s press culture is robust and investigative. Major newspapers such as Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Welt, and Süddeutsche Zeitung routinely examine the public records of incoming ambassadors.

Past statements by the envoy would likely be revisited, contextualised, and debated. This will particularly be so with those touching on Israel or Middle Eastern conflicts. This could frame the diplomatic narrative before the ambassador even presents credentials to the German President.

2. Political Establishment

Within the Bundestag, parties across the ideological spectrum, from the Christian Democrats to the Greens, maintain strong pro-Israel positions. Parliamentary committees dealing with foreign affairs could interpret prior anti-Israel rhetoric as diplomatically awkward.

While Germany would not ordinarily block an ambassadorial appointment, the tone of official engagement might initially become cautious or guarded.

3. Public and Academic Discourse

Germany’s policy ecosystem includes influential think tanks, foundations, and universities deeply engaged in Middle East policy debates. These institutions often shape elite opinion. Questions about the suitability of an envoy could easily enter these circles and amplify reputational concerns.

Possible Negative Fallout

Several practical consequences could emerge if the diplomatic optics become contentious:

1. Distraction from Strategic Priorities

Nigeria’s relationship with Germany spans trade, renewable energy, migration cooperation, technical training, and industrial investment. Diplomatic energy could be diverted from these priorities toward managing reputational controversies.

2. Reduced Informal Access

Diplomacy often advances through informal networks: private dinners, policy forums, quiet consultations. If an envoy begins his tenure under a cloud of controversy, elite access may initially narrow.

3. Media Framing of Nigeria

Unfortunately, international audiences often conflate the persona of an ambassador with the posture of the sending country. The debate may shift from the individual to Nigeria’s diplomatic judgment.

A Four-Point Mitigation Strategy

Even where concerns arise, diplomacy always offers pathways to recalibration.

1. Early Diplomatic Reset

The envoy could proactively signal respect for Germany’s historical sensitivities. A carefully framed public statement acknowledging Germany’s post-war moral commitments could help reset perceptions.

2. Focus on Economic Diplomacy

If the ambassador quickly pivots toward economic cooperation, including investment, green energy partnerships, vocational training, attention may gradually shift from controversy to practical collaboration.

3. Strategic Engagement with Think Tanks

Active participation in policy forums hosted by German foundations such as Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and others could demonstrate intellectual seriousness and rebuild credibility.

4. Abuja’s Supporting Diplomacy

Nigeria’s foreign ministry could reinforce the relationship through high-level visits, trade missions, and bilateral initiatives that underline the strategic importance of the partnership.

The Abuja–Berlin Institutional Memory

It is also worth noting that the current Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, served previously as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany for nearly eight years across two diplomatic postings. This is an unusually long tenure in ambassadorial practice. That experience means he is intimately familiar with the political culture of Berlin, its policy ecosystem, and the sensitivities that shape German foreign policy debates. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the reported appointment of Femi Fani-Kayode could not have emerged entirely outside the awareness of the Foreign Ministry. One may legitimately ask: if reservations existed within the ministry, were they overridden, or were they perhaps judged manageable? It is equally conceivable that Abuja believes any potential diplomatic friction can be mitigated through careful calibration, leveraging the institutional relationships and goodwill built during Ambassador Tuggar’s long tenure in Berlin. For all we know, the groundwork for managing the optics may already be quietly underway.

The Larger Lesson

Nigeria has long been regarded as one of Africa’s diplomatic heavyweights. From the anti-apartheid struggle to peacekeeping across West Africa, Nigerian diplomacy has historically carried considerable moral and strategic weight.

That tradition places a premium on careful ambassadorial selection.

Diplomacy is ultimately the art of building bridges. The strength of those bridges often depends not only on national policy but also on the temperament, reputation, and symbolic alignment of those entrusted to represent the nation abroad.

When the host country is Germany, such alignment becomes even more consequential. Watcher always remind themselves that when it is about Germany, you are dealing with an EU superpower whose foreign policy remains deeply shaped by historical memory. Frank Ofili’s intervention therefore raises a legitimate question: not about loyalty or patriotism, but about strategic fit.

And in diplomacy, strategic fit is rarely a trivial matter.

Collins Nweke is the author of Economic Diplomacy of the Diaspora (2026) and a columnist with Proshare Nigeria and The Brussels Times. He writes from Brussels.

Renewal of AGOA Is a Pause, Not a Reset

Following my discussion on TRT World on the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), one thing is clear: this decision restores trade flows, but it does not restore certainty.

The Trump administration’s late-night move reopens duty-free access for over 1,800 African products, ending months of uncertainty for exporters and manufacturers. Yet the renewal is best understood as a pragmatic holding action rather than a return to stable, long-term partnership.

A key point raised during the interview was whether Washington set aside political tensions, particularly with South Africa, which accounts for nearly half of AGOA trade volumes, in order to protect supply chains. The answer is largely yes, but not out of generosity. After more than two decades, AGOA supply chains are deeply embedded in US industries. Letting them collapse would have imposed real costs on American consumers and businesses. Trade pragmatism, in this case, prevailed over political signalling.

However, the extension only runs to year-end. While this prevents immediate disruption, it is insufficient to rebuild full business confidence. Companies invest on multi-year horizons. Short extensions stabilise existing operations but rarely unlock new capital or expansion. For African economies, this narrow window must be used strategically to strengthen compliance, diversify exports, and move further up value chains.

The most consequential signal accompanying the renewal is the insistence on “America First” reciprocity. As discussed in the interview, African markets are not opposed to reciprocity, but they are structurally constrained. Agriculture remains a major source of employment and social stability, and sudden exposure to heavily subsidised US farm products could be destabilising.

What is realistic is calibrated reciprocity: selective and phased market opening, paired with support for African agricultural productivity and value addition. This approach aligns development needs with US commercial interests.

Watch the interview on TRT World here

AGOA’s renewal is therefore neither a breakthrough nor a setback. It is a pause in a rapidly evolving global trade order, one that underscores how trade policy is increasingly transactional, conditional, and shaped by geopolitics. The real test is whether this temporary reprieve leads to a modernised, balanced partnership or simply postpones a deeper reckoning.

The Venezuela Crisis Through an African Non‑Interference Lens

“In reality, Africa has articulated one of the most sophisticated normative frameworks on sovereignty and intervention outside Europe. The Venezuelan invasion calls for the deployment AU Doctrine, Strategic Non-Alignment, and choosing diplomacy over coercion” – Collins Nweke

The evolving crisis in Venezuela is often framed as a distant Latin American drama, but for Africa, that would be a profound misreading. What is unfolding in Caracas is far more than a contest over Nicolás Maduro or a reaction to United States policy choices. It is a stress test of global norms in an increasingly fragmented international order. Viewed through Africa’s long‑established doctrine of sovereignty, non‑interference, and non‑indifference, the crisis exposes the same dilemmas the continent has repeatedly confronted in Libya, the Sahel, and other externally shaped theatres of instability.

Africa is not merely a bystander to these debates. It has articulated one of the world’s most sophisticated frameworks on intervention and state responsibility. It is seen as a framework born from hard lessons about the costs of both indifference and coercive external involvement. The Venezuelan crisis thus becomes a mirror, reflecting the stakes for African states as global powers stretch, reinterpret, or selectively apply international rules. Its implications reach far beyond Caracas. They speak directly to Africa’s strategic autonomy, its commitment to diplomacy over coercion, and its insistence that sovereignty must coexist with accountability.

Africa Is Not Normatively Silent

Africa is often caricatured as reactive in global affairs. In reality, the continent has articulated one of the most sophisticated normative frameworks on sovereignty and intervention outside Europe. The African Union is built on a carefully negotiated doctrine that seeks to reconcile state sovereignty, collective responsibility, and human security.

The AU Constitutive Act establishes, on the one hand, the principle of sovereign equality and non-interference in the internal affairs of member states. On the other, it introduces a distinctly African innovation: the right of the Union to intervene in grave circumstances such as war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. This was not a rejection of sovereignty, but a refinement of it. This was born of Africa’s painful experience with indifference during mass atrocities.

The Lomé Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government (2000) further clarified Africa’s red lines. It rejected coups, mercenary interventions, and externally engineered seizures of power, while insisting that political change must be constitutional, inclusive, and domestically anchored. Importantly, Lomé did not license regime change by foreign powers. It asserted African ownership over political legitimacy.

Together, these instruments amount to a coherent African doctrine: non-interference without non-indifference; sovereignty without impunity; and reform without coercion.

Diplomacy as First Resort, Not Last Option

Africa’s practical diplomacy has reinforced this doctrine. AU-led and AU-mandated mediation efforts have consistently prioritised dialogue, negotiated settlements, and regional legitimacy over punitive or militarised approaches. Examples abound from Sudan and South Sudan to Kenya, The Gambia, and parts of the Sahel. While outcomes have been uneven, the underlying lesson is clear: durable political settlements emerge from inclusive processes, not externally imposed outcomes.

This preference for diplomacy over coercion is not weakness. It is strategic realism. Coercive sanctions regimes and forced political outcomes often hollow out institutions, radicalise domestic actors, and internationalise internal conflicts. Venezuela’s protracted crisis illustrates this danger vividly.

For Africa, the Venezuela case reaffirms a long-held conviction: defending sovereignty does not mean defending misrule; rejecting regime change does not require silence on accountability; and supporting democracy does not justify abandoning international law.

Strategic Non-Alignment in a Multipolar Order

China’s stance on Venezuela is less about ideology than about signalling a multipolar world. For African states navigating relationships with the United States, China, the European Union, and emerging middle powers, this moment underscores the urgency of strategic non-alignment. This implies that cooperation can exist without subordination.

Non-alignment today is not Cold War nostalgia. It is about policy space. Africa’s interest lies not in choosing sides, but in strengthening its collective voice through the AU. Fragmented national positions dilute Africa’s leverage. Coordinated continental postures enhance it.

Acting through the AU, African states can:

Uphold respect for sovereignty and constitutional order
Demand consistency in the application of international law
Engage all partners including Washington, Beijing, Brussels, and beyond, on equal terms
Anchor external relations firmly in the principles of the United Nations Charter

Resources, Legitimacy, and the Venezuela Lesson

Venezuela’s vast oil reserves offer Africa another cautionary lesson. Natural resources are not power by default. They become leverage only when matched with institutional legitimacy, credible governance, and effective diplomacy. Absent these, resource wealth attracts external pressure rather than strategic respect.

Africa has learned this lesson repeatedly. The continent’s future resource diplomacy must therefore be anchored not only in extraction, but in governance, legitimacy, and multilateral engagement.

A Pro-African Call to Action

For Africa, the implications of Venezuela’s crisis are neither abstract nor distant. They are immediate and strategic:

Defend sovereignty without legitimising misrule
Reject externally imposed regime change while insisting on accountability
Champion AU-led diplomacy and mediation as first resort
Converge under the African Union to practice principled non-alignment
Insist on respect for international law and the UN Charter by all powers, without exception.

In an era where global rules are being selectively applied and routinely stress-tested, Africa must stand firm on multilateralism as the currency of legitimacy. Anything less risks a regression to a world where might defines right. Africa has lived through that era. It cannot afford its return, whether in Caracas, Tripoli, Abuja, or closer to anywhere called home on the continent.

A Fiscal Reset for Nigeria That Depends on Trust

Nigeria’s tax overhaul is less a revenue exercise than a credibility test. It is one that will shape investor confidence, citizen buy-in, and the country’s reform reputation in the face of the world for years to come.

by Collins Nweke

Today, 1 January 2026, marks more than the start of a new year for Nigeria. It is the dawn of a new fiscal era, as the country’s ambitious tax law comes into force. The timing of this piece is deliberate: it coincides with a moment of profound national significance and symbolism. In the months since the law was announced, Nigeria has witnessed spirited debates, rigorous analyses including my op-ed on Proshare titled: Tax Ombud for Nigeria: Navigating a Promising Reform in a Distrustful Context on the role of the tax ombudsman, and passionate protests, all underscoring the gravity of the changes at hand. Yet, despite the turbulence, the government has pressed ahead, undeterred and unwavering in its resolve. Against this backdrop, my purpose is not to add to the noise, but to offer a sober reflection and an objective assessment of what will ultimately determine whether this reform succeeds or falters. For Nigeria, the true test is not simply about raising revenue, but about building credibility, at home and abroad, through the choices made from this day forward.

Operating in the intersection of international trade consultancy and Diaspora thoughts leadership for a couple of decades now, feels like a long-standing bridge between Nigeria and global capital. In such vantage position, I have learnt one enduring lesson: investors do not fear reform, they fear uncertainty. Nigeria’s new tax framework should therefore not be viewed as a risk by default, instead of the test that it is. A test of credibility, sequencing, and Nigeria’s capacity to translate reform intent into institutional reliability.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has framed the overhaul as a decisive pivot. It is a route away from oil dependency and toward domestic resource mobilisation; away from over-taxing a narrow formal sector and toward a broader, fairer base. For international investors, this narrative is familiar. What will distinguish Nigeria is not ambition, but execution.

What Investors Should Watch Most Closely

Speaking daily with investors who want to engage Nigeria but remain cautious, I can say this plainly: capital wants Nigeria to succeed. The market size, entrepreneurial energy, and strategic relevance are undeniable. But goodwill is not infinite. Nigeria has a duty, indeed an obligation, to make this reform work. Not only for revenue, but for reputation. If successful, it will reposition Nigeria as a serious reform economy, one that converts policy ambition into institutional trust. Not allowing it falter means paying attention to a few key factors:

Predictability over perfection: Tax rates can be modelled; volatility cannot. The clearest signal Nigeria can send to markets is that rules will not shift abruptly, retroactively, or selectively. Consistency in application matters more than marginal adjustments in rates. Credible reform is reform that businesses can plan around.

Balanced enforcement: A sound tax system expands compliance without penalising those already compliant. Investors will watch closely whether enforcement finally tackles elite non-compliance, leakages, and rent-seeking, rather than defaulting—yet again—to squeezing formal businesses because they are easiest to reach. Reform that punishes compliance undermines confidence.

Transparency in the use of revenues: Taxation is not merely a fiscal instrument; it is the backbone of the social contract. Investors, like citizens, want evidence that revenues translate into infrastructure, healthcare, education, and logistics that reduce the cost of doing business. Transparent reporting, independent audits, and visible outcomes are not political luxuries. These are investment fundamentals.

Sub-national readiness: Nigeria’s federal structure means national reform is only as strong as State level and local government implementation. Fragmented administration, multiple levies, and uneven capacity remain among the greatest deterrents to investment. Harmonisation, digital integration, and clarity across jurisdictions will therefore be critical tests of seriousness.

Sequencing and sensitivity: Reform during economic strain may be unavoidable, but its success depends on timing and tone. Phased implementation, clear thresholds, and protection for small enterprises would signal that Nigeria understands the difference between taxing productivity and suffocating survival.

Opposition, Dissent, and Democratic Legitimacy

It is important to recognise, and commend, the voices of trade unions, opposition parties, and civil society organisations that have raised concerns about the reform. They are not obstacles to progress, but essential actors in a functioning democracy, exercising a legitimate right to scrutinise state power and defend vulnerable groups. History shows that reforms imposed without consultation rarely endure. Government has a responsibility to engage dissent with respect, transparency, and good faith. From my position as an independent assessor, supporting investors to make informed decisions rather than defending any administration, robust opposition is not a weakness. Properly engaged, it strengthens legitimacy and improves policy outcomes.

Why This Reform Must Be a Win-Win

Engaging daily with investors eager to enter Nigeria yet wary of policy risk, one reality that shouts loud is that most investors want Nigeria to succeed. They realise that this, in the first instance is good for them. But it is also good for Nigeria. The reverse will reinforce a damaging narrative: that reform in Nigeria remains episodic rather than systemic. This moment therefore demands more than legislation. It calls for leadership that listens, institutions that deliver, and a country that treats citizens and investors not as extraction targets, but as partners in national renewal.

Tax reform is not the destination. Credibility is. And credibility, once earned, delivers the highest return of all.

Reforming Unemployment Without Cutting Too Close to the Bones

Belgium has decided. And in a democracy, decisions once debated, voted, and translated into policy, do not remain theoretical. They become lived reality. From 1 January 2026, a first group of jobseekers will begin to lose unemployment benefits, with a phased rollout that continues until 1 July 2027. The first wave affects roughly 21,500 people, many of them in Wallonia. And by summer 2027, the reform is expected to impact nearly 103,000 residents.

I opposed this direction when it was still a plan. In my earlier piece, I warned against a welfare debate that risks shifting from fighting poverty to fighting the poor. I still believe that warning was valid. But the point of democratic politics is not to continue campaigning after the ballots are counted. It is to help society govern itself wisely, cautiously, and humanely, especially when reform touches the lives of those with the least margin for error. My colleagues on the political Left who are still in active service might read this and say to me: how convenient! They may be right because, since retiring from active party politics, I no longer must be part of that hard decision of cutting too close to the bones of vulnerable fellow citizens. When it is the law, you are duty bound to comply, irrespective of political persuasion.

So I write now not to relitigate yesterday, but to prevent tomorrow’s avoidable harm.

Activation is not cruelty unless we make it so

Even as critics think otherwise, most liberals understand that Belgium’s welfare state was not built to romanticise dependency. We simply argue that it was built to protect dignity while enabling participation. Support and responsibility were always meant to travel in tandem.

In principle, governments are right to ask: how do we encourage labour-market participation, reduce long-term joblessness, and protect public finances? Those are legitimate policy aims. But legitimacy of intent does not guarantee legitimacy of outcome.

A hard truth sits at the centre of this reform: if you withdraw income support without simultaneously removing the barriers that keep people unemployed, you don’t “activate” people. You destabilise them. You push them from unemployment insurance into deeper poverty, precarious housing, debt traps, family stress, and sometimes untreated mental health conditions. The social cost does not disappear. It merely relocates often to OCMW/CPAS, to charities, to food aid networks, and to already overstretched local services.

Brussels authorities have already publicly prepared for that pressure, warning that thousands may turn to social welfare services as benefit limits bite. This is the pivot Belgium must get right: reform must be paired with protection.

A humane implementation: six guardrails Belgium should adopt now

If the reform is to proceed, and the sad reality is that it is proceeding, then federal and regional governments should adopt a do no avoidable harm framework. Concretely:

1. No one should fall off a cliff: build a guaranteed “bridge” to support

The moment unemployment benefits stop, the transition to alternative support must be automatic, guided, and time-bound; not an obstacle course of appointments, paperwork, missed letters, and administrative confusion.

A person losing benefits should receive one coordinated pathway: employment guidance + social support + income stabilisation where eligible. If activation is the goal, then administrative chaos is policy sabotage.

2. Fund the shock where it lands: municipalities need real money, not moral lectures

If the policy shifts people from federal unemployment protection toward local welfare assistance, then the federal level must co-finance the increased load. Otherwise, the reform becomes a fiscal shell game: savings for one level of government, pressure and political backlash for another.

Belgium should create a transparent mechanism that tracks how many people transfer to CPAS/OCMW support and funds municipalities accordingly: predictably, not through ad hoc crisis measures.

3. Replace “one-size-fits-all” with case-based activation

Some jobseekers are unemployed because they lack skills. Others because they are older, sick, caring for relatives, facing language barriers, or living with invisible disabilities. A uniform time cap treats these realities as excuses. They are not excuses; they are contexts.

Belgium must implement individualised, case-based activation that distinguishes:

those who need skills and placement,
those who need health and psychosocial support,
those who need care infrastructure (childcare, eldercare),
those who are effectively unemployable under current labour-market conditions and need protected pathways.

A mature welfare state doesn’t pretend all unemployment is identical.

4. Expand training exceptions into a real ladder, not a loophole

The current framework includes an exception for people enrolled by 31 December 2025 in training for shortage occupations, allowing benefits to be extended until training ends (under conditions).

That is sensible—but too narrow if Belgium wants genuine activation.

Training must be:

accessible (cost, transport, childcare),
realistic (matching labour-market demand),
and supportive (coaching, internships, employer linkages).

If training is truly the “on-ramp” to work, then government should widen, simplify, and properly resource it, especially for those closest to the labour-market margins.

5. Protect dignity in assessment and communication

When people receive letters informing them that their benefits end, the message must not be punitive. The tone matters because it signals whether society still recognises the recipient as a citizen or treats them as a burden.

Public discourse should also be policed for scapegoating. Belgium must reject narratives that imply poverty is a character flaw or that long-term unemployment is best solved through humiliation. Policy can be firm without being dehumanising.

6. Monitor outcomes like lives depend on it, because they do

Belgium should publish a quarterly Reform Impact Dashboard that tracks:

transitions to work (quality, not just any job),
transitions to CPAS/OCMW,
poverty and housing insecurity indicators,
debt and arrears,
health and mental health service demand.

And there must be a willingness to adjust. If evidence shows rising hardship without commensurate employment gains, democratic responsibility requires correction, not stubbornness.

A word to Europe: do not misread Belgium

Across Europe, many governments have long looked to Belgium as proof that a generous, humane social protection system can coexist with fiscal responsibility and labour-market participation. That reputation now places a burden not only on Belgium, but on Europe itself. This reform will be read, rightly or wrongly, as a signal. If Belgium; the careful compromiser, the laboratory of social dialogue; normalises time-limited protection without equally visible investment in activation, care, and dignity, others will feel licensed to go further and cut deeper. Europe must therefore resist the temptation to treat this moment as validation of a harsher continental turn. The lesson to draw is not that social protection has failed, but that reform divorced from social investment corrodes trust, cohesion, and legitimacy. If Europe still claims a distinct social model, one that tempers markets with solidarity, then Belgium’s experience should be a warning light, not a green one. The benchmark must not slide from humane protection to managed abandonment.

The moral test of governance

There is a phrase I used before that I repeat now with even greater urgency: we are cutting too close to the bones of vulnerable fellow citizens—fellow humans.

It is precisely when the political system has “decided” that the responsibility of leadership becomes most demanding. Because implementation is where policy stops being ideology and starts being ethics.

Belgium can still make this reform worthy of its social model, if it treats activation as a supported pathway, not a punishment clock; if it funds the consequences honestly; and if it refuses to confuse fiscal discipline with moral superiority.

In the coming weeks, the first wave will feel the reform not as a concept but as an empty line in a bank account. The question is whether Belgium will meet that moment with bureaucratic indifference or with the quiet competence and compassion that once made its welfare model a benchmark.

Democracy brought us here. Now decency must guide what we do next.

The author, Collins Nweke is a Senior Consultant on international trade and economic diplomacy. A three-term councillor at Ostend City Council, Belgium till December 2024, his portfolio included social welfare and economy. He writes from Brussels, Belgium.