AFRICAN AMBASSADORS RESPOND TO U.S. IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONS: “IT’S TIME TO THINK HOME,” SAYS AMBASSADOR NWANNE OMINYI
By LYDIA MAKINA
Lusaka, Zambia | July 13, 2025
In a strongly-worded statement issued this week, the League of African Ambassadors has responded to the latest immigration and travel restrictions imposed by the United States, urging Africans across the globe to “think home” and redirect their energies towards building the continent.
Speaking on behalf of the League, its President, H.E. Amb. Nwanne Ominyi, condemned the tightening immigration measures as a reflection of a deeper global inequality that continues to sideline Africans and marginalize their contributions abroad.
“Africa is not a beggar continent, and Africans are not second-class citizens in the global community,” Amb. Ominyi declared in the statement. “If others cannot see the dignity and potential of our people, then we must begin to see it for ourselves—loudly, proudly, and unapologetically.”
The remarks come in the wake of growing immigration enforcement in the United States, which has affected nationals from multiple African countries, prompting advisories from African governments, including Zambia, for their citizens abroad to comply with local immigration laws or consider voluntary return home.
But for Amb. Ominyi, the moment calls not just for compliance but for transformation.
The League’s president challenged African leaders, entrepreneurs, and youth in the diaspora to channel their talents and resources toward developing the continent, emphasizing that no external power holds the responsibility to fix Africa’s problems.
“Nobody will develop Africa but Africans,” he said. “Not the West. Not the East. Not global institutions whose interests seldom align with ours. The task of rising is ours alone—and we have what it takes.”
The statement called for concrete action, including investment in local infrastructure, pan-African unity, institutional reform, and narrative ownership. In a rallying tone, Amb. Ominyi reminded Africans that the continent is richly endowed with natural resources, youthful energy, and cultural capital—all the elements needed to become a global force.
For young Africans abroad, the message was especially poignant:
The League of African Ambassadors represents a collective voice of African diplomatic missions across the world, working to promote the continent’s interests in foreign policy, development, and global engagement.
