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S’Africa denied me entry while white people had free access – Nigerian billionaire
From Abdul Samad Rabiu, Nigerian billionaire business tycoon, came a startling depiction of the raw deal Africans suffer in South Africa that indicate the sharp difference with other races of the world.
South Africa, once home to the most degenerate human oppression in history – apartheid, is currently an enclave where citizens have turned against their brothers on the African continent in many years of xenophobic attacks.
Regardless of the attempt by the authorities in the country to downplay the situation, Rabiu, who is also Africa’s second richest man, used his personal story to underscore the scant regard of Africans in the country, even after escaping from the oppressive regime some three decades ago.
At the ongoing Africa CEO Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda, Rabiu told his story at one of the forums, tagged: Africa at scale: Capital, policy, and the architecture of growth, how the incident, occurred in February 2025 while he was travelling to Cape Town for the Mining Indaba.
He said: “I had a personal experience. Last year February, I was travelling to Cape Town for the Mining Indaba. And as we landed… I tendered my passport, and the immigration officer looked at it and was like, where is your visa, and I said, ‘My visa is there.’
“Unknown to me, my visa had expired the day before. Unfortunately, our crew did not check the visa… We were there for four hours, but at the end of the day, I had to turn back. I was turned back to Lagos.
“But the issue is, while we were waiting… there were like three international flights from Europe. All three flights were mostly Europeans. I was standing there by the immigration desk, and every passenger on those three flights went into Cape Town without any visa.
“I do not have a problem with the fact that I was there without the visa and I was returned. I took full responsibility of that. I had an issue with being an African in Africa, being turned away because I do not have a visa and foreigners from other continents were coming in and were allowed to enter without a visa. This must change.”
Lamenting that such barriers undermined the spirit of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), he stressed that fragmentation continues to limit cross-border business expansion.
His words: “At BUA Group, as we expanded our regional investment, we actively sought to supply several African markets under the AfCFTA framework. While some countries embraced the spirit of agreement, others were less supportive in practice… limiting our ability to participate fully in regional trade.
“So really, AfCFTA is not working as it should… we were actually frustrated. Capital to finance ambition, policy to enable execution, infrastructure, the foundation of growth, value-addition to unlock the full value of our resources, and integration to unlock scale.
“The reality is clear: Africa is not short of capital, it is short of coordinated mobile capital deployed at scale. What is required is clear and transparent rules, predictable enforcement and coordinated industrial strategies across borders.
“The 21st century will not reward detached brilliance, but coordinated execution. African leaders must move from policy declarations to implementation-driven development.”
Justices Emeka Nwite, and James Kolawole Omotosho, both of the Federal High Court Abuja, are now awaiting the nod of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to move up the judicial ladder to the Court of Appeal after impacting the Nigerian polity quite dramatically.
Nwite sat on the controversial case of Nafiu Bala Gombe against the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the leadership tussle, which nearly saw the party emersed in crisis that led to its officers derecognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), until recently.
On his part, Omotosho, apart from handling the high-profile case that pitted the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly against led by Martins Emewhule against Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of the state, would also be remembered for the historic decision to slap a life-sentence on Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The pair were among the 12 justices, recommended by the Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chief Judge of the Federation (CJN) to the appellate court after the 111th Meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC), the organ for hiring, discipline and promotion of judges in Nigeria.
Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, spokesman of the council disclosed that apart from the pair, Justices Yakubu Mohammed, Abodunde Oluwatoyin and Ajuwa Raphael, Abua Ojie, Ijohor Jennifer, Shuaibu Bala, also benefitted from the exercise.
Others included Buba Njane, Kado Sanusi, Ademola Enikuomehin and
Dadom Veronica, while Christine Ende was recommended for appointment as a Judge of the High Court of Benue State and two others for appointment as Kadis of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Katsina State.
The recommendations were intended to fill vacancies arising from the elevation and retirement of Judicial Officers across various levels of the Judiciary and to strengthen the capacity of courts for effective justice delivery.
Babalola-Ogedengbe, Deputy Director of Information of the NJC, also announced the extension of the tenure of Justice Ijeoma Agugua as Imo State Acting Chief Judge for a further period of three months with effect from March 26, 2026 to June 26, 2026 to allow for completion of the process for appointing a substantive Chief Judge.
The Council commended Justice Ononeze-Madu for declining to be sworn in contrary to established constitutional procedure, describing the action as a demonstration of institutional integrity and respect for the rule of law.
It reiterated the call on the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to expedite the process of appointment of a substantive Chief Judge in order to ensure stability, safeguard judicial independence, and enhance the effective administration of justice in the State.
On issues of discipline, the NJC rejected appeals filed by eight judges of the Imo State Judiciary seeking a reversal of their compulsory retirement from service over age falsification.
The affected Judges were among 10 Judicial Officers recommended for compulsory retirement at the Council’s 109th meeting held on 25 June
2025.
For Atiku Abubakar, the task of redeeming Nigeria and giving the people the opportunity to reclaim themselves their lives in a thriving nation, are greater than any obstacle along the road of achieving the twin goals.
He made this declaration on Thursday after submitting his nomination form to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) – the seventh time he would be making a go at the nation’s number one job.
Atiku, whose arrival at the ADC secretariat took the toga of a carnival, with a horde of supporters accompanying him, described the development as a decisive step toward restoring prosperity and better days to Nigeria.
Advancing his raison d’etre for making the record attempt, he wrote in his X platform after the event: “The march to restore prosperity and better days to our beloved nation took a firm and decisive step forward today at the National Secretariat of our great party, the African Democratic Congress.
“This is more than a political journey; it is a national movement rooted in hope, renewal, and the collective resolve to save Nigeria from despair. I call on all Nigerians, regardless of region, faith, or background, to join us in this noble cause. Together, we will restore the promise of our nation and bring good times back again.”
It was also a day, Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation also came calling at the same venue for the same purpose, after which he enjoined Nigerians to make the right choice of President this time, using the track-record of each aspirant as a gauge.
After the submission of his form, Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State, also wrote on his X platform: “Today, I submitted my Presidential nomination forms at the ADC Secretariat, officially throwing my hat in the ring to salvage our country, Nigeria. The mission is clear; we will fight to restore dignity to Nigerians, make our country great and respected in the comity of nations, and bring unity, peace, prosperity and progress to our people.”
According to the party, primary elections for State Houses of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate seats will commence on May 21, 2026, with the elections holding simultaneously at the ward level.
The governorship primaries are scheduled for May 22, 2026, while the presidential primary will take place on May 25, 2026.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has succeeded in leading Nigeria towards emerging as a model for economic transformation in Africa following his far-reaching reforms.
This was the conclusion of Taiwo Oyedele Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, as he weighed in on the President’s pursuit of the economic wellbeing of Nigeria, extolling him for creating increasing investor confidence and expanding opportunities across key sectors of the nation’s economy.
Oyedele, told reporters on the sidelines of the two-day Africa CEO Forum which began in Kigali, Rwanda, on Thursday that although the reforms undertaken by the administration were difficult, they were necessary measures aimed at laying the foundation for long-term economic stability, sustainable growth, and national competitiveness.
Oyedele stressed that Africa’s development conversation has moved beyond rhetoric to practical implementation, with increasing focus on scale, speed, institutional credibility, and sustainable economic transformation.
He noted that Nigeria, as Africa’s largest economy by population and market opportunities, has demonstrated that bold reforms are achievable and capable of delivering measurable gains when pursued with political will and strategic commitment.
He described President Tinubu as the country’s “chief marketer,” noting that the President has continued to lead high-level engagements aimed at attracting investment into critical sectors including power, mining, port development, and private enterprise.
Oyedele said discussions at the forum centred on mobilising investments, expanding industrial capacity, and supporting private sector growth as part of broader efforts to reposition Nigeria and Africa for inclusive prosperity.
“You know one very exciting thing about Mr President is that he is never tired of marketing Nigeria, he is the chief marketer for the country, and so we had several discussions mostly focusing on economic opportunities how can we mobilise more investment particularly in the area of power and we also had discussions interesting ones around mining as well as opportunities to even support private sectors more businesses.”
He further stated that Nigeria is now telling a more credible economic story backed by concrete reforms and demonstrable leadership, stressing that President Tinubu’s track record and reform agenda have strengthened investor confidence in the country.
The minister also highlighted President Tinubu’s bilateral engagement with the President of Guinea, describing it as a productive discussion focused on regional cooperation, development partnerships, and economic integration.
According to him, President Tinubu commended Guinea’s continued commitment to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), despite pressures to withdraw from the regional bloc, describing the move as a demonstration of belief in regional unity and collective progress.
Oyedele noted that both leaders explored opportunities for collaboration in areas such as iron ore development and broader economic partnerships, stressing that African countries stand to achieve more through cooperation and shared development initiatives.
He emphasised the need for African nations to work together in addressing development financing challenges, industrialisation, value addition, poverty reduction, and growth in labour-intensive sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, technology, and services.
The minister said leaders participating at the Africa CEO Forum acknowledged that the time for mere declarations has passed, stressing that Africa must now focus on implementation, execution, and building strong institutions capable of driving sustainable growth across the continent.
He stressed that it was a significant moment for Nigeria and Africa, noting that the current generation of leaders has a unique opportunity to shape a stronger and more prosperous future for the continent.
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