“There Is No Free Lunch”, Wike Tells Africans

By Ayodele Oni

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has charged the Continent of Africa to rise above foreign aids.

The FCT minister declared that “We must remember that no one can do as much for us as we can do for ourselves, and that in this world of concrete interests, there is no free lunch and no lasting handout.”

Wike spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the 2025 innovative African conference with the theme Reimaging Africa’s leadership and investment.

In his keynote address, Wike pointed out that “Africa must now rise above aid, rediscover her strength, and rebuild her institutions. Let us therefore reimagine investment, reclaim our self-reliance, and reposition Africa not as a continent waiting for benevolence, but as a continent prepared to lead.

“The future of global prosperity will be written here on African soil, by African hands, and for the glory of Africa and all humanity.

“Reimagining Africa’s leadership and investment is not merely an intellectual exercise; it is an urgent call to action. Our continent can no longer afford incremental change; the time has come for transformational change.

“Let me be clear: Africa’s future will not be given to us. We must build it. And we must build it now.

“The future I see is an Africa where leadership is rooted in service and integrity, not in privilege and power; where investment fuels inclusive growth, lifting millions from poverty into prosperity; where youth and women stand at the forefront driving innovation, creativity, and governance.

“I see an Africa where infrastructure becomes the great equalizer, connecting communities and economies; and where Africa speaks with one voice, not as 55 fragmented states, but as one dynamic continent reimagined, renewed, and resolute in purpose.

“History will not remember what we merely dreamed for Africa; it will remember what we did for Africa. It will judge us not by our rhetoric, but by our actions and results.

“Africa today stands at a historic crossroads. On one hand, we are endowed with immense natural wealth, fertile lands, vibrant cultures, and the youngest population in the world.

“We are a continent of extraordinary promise, alive with creativity, innovation, and a deep cultural heritage that has shaped humanity itself.

“Yet, on the other hand, we continue to grapple with weak institutions, infrastructural deficits, widespread unemployment, poverty, and recurrent governance failures that have constrained our progress.”