The West Wants Africa’s Resources, Not Its People

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AfricaAugust/September 2025
Africa

Photo Illustration by Ezinne Osueke / THE REPUBLIC. Source Ref: FLICKR, WIKIMEDIA. 

THE MINISTRY OF WORLD AFFAIRS

The West Wants Africa’s Resources, Not Its People

The growing anti-immigration policies in the West against Africans are a wake-up call for Africa to focus on developing its continent by using its resources to better the lives of its people.
Africa

Photo Illustration by Ezinne Osueke / THE REPUBLIC. Source Ref: FLICKR, WIKIMEDIA. 

THE MINISTRY OF WORLD AFFAIRS

The West Wants Africa’s Resources, Not Its People

The growing anti-immigration policies in the West against Africans are a wake-up call for Africa to focus on developing its continent by using its resources to better the lives of its people.

A significant part of history holds evidence of how the West’s progress was built on the backs of Africans through transatlantic slavery and, subsequently, exploitation during colonialism. For instance, the American cotton industry, powered by slave labour, was the catalyst for the 19th-century economic growth of the United States. In 1833, when slavery was abolished, Britain paid £20 million (equivalent of £17 billion today) to slave owners as compensation for their loss. Ironically, recent anti-immigration policies in the West seek to close the door against Africans who contributed immensely to their progress, even at their own detriment.

THE GROWING ANTI-IMMIGRATION POLICIES

For years, Canada built a reputation as one of the most immigrant-friendly countries in the world. According to the 2016 Canadian census, Africans made up 13.4 per cent of immigrants in Canada between 2011 and 2016. Nigeria was one of the top five countries of origin for these immigrants. In 2023, Canada accepted 471,800 permanent residents, of whom 17,455 were Nigerians. However, in 2024, the Canadian government announced a 21 per cent cut in permanent residency approvals for 2025 to alleviate pressures on housing, infrastructure and social services. This trend is not isolated, as countries across Europe, as well as the United States, have also mirrored similar policies.

President Donald Trump of the United States began his second administration by ramping up anti-immigration policies. Trump, already known for strict immigration enforcement, doubled down since returning to office, increasing deportations, tightening borders and reinstating travel bans. In June 2025, the United States. issued a travel ban affecting 12 African countries. A report by Africanews states that the administration is considering expanding the ban to include as many as 40 African countries.

The West often justifies policies such as these with rhetoric that frames migrants as economic threats, making their policies appear as measures essential for national security and economic stability. The French interior minister, Gérard Collomb, in an interview with Journal Du Dimanche in 2017, stated that the country would welcome asylum seekers but prioritize distinguishing foreigners migrating for economic reasons. This statement positions migrants as a threat to the economy. But the impact of these decisions extends far beyond Western borders and into Africa, where economic and political instability continues to displace millions.

This is evidently seen in Sudan, where the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces recently claimed the lives of over 200 civilians and forced many others to flee. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the resurgence of the M23 group has led to the displacement of over 7 million people and the death of over 3000 others. Cases of kidnappings and insecurity in Nigeria have equally led to many deaths and displacement. In Benue State, Nigeria, residents of several communities have fled due to attacks by suspected herdsmen. According to a 2024 report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 45 million citizens across Africa are currently displaced, yet only a fraction seek refuge in the West. Even this fraction is increasingly met with rejection.

This same report estimates that the number of displaced Africans exceeds the entire populations of countries like Ghana, Angola or Morocco. The vast majority find shelter within the continent, in countries like South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya or Uganda. The question now is, ‘Where exactly is this so-called “immigration crisis” the West claims to face?’

A 2022 study by Stanford economist Ran Abramitzky and Princeton’s Leah Boustan, in their book Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigration Success, solidifies this question while making it clear that immigrants are not taking over the United States. The percentage of immigrants in the US has remained steady, around 14 per cent for over a century. It has only recently risen to 15.6 per cent. Is this truly an unexpected or abrupt growth after 115 years?

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A HISTORY OF REJECTION

This rejection by the West is not new and, unfortunately, will not end here. It traces back to the abolition of the slave trade by Britain in the 19th century. The abolition led by William Wilberforce, a British politician and philanthropist, advocated for the end of the slave trade by highlighting the inhumane nature of the practice. He believed that for the trade to end, it had to be stopped from Africa. Some historians argued that the trade did not end on moral grounds but because Britain wanted Africans to remain in Africa, under colonial rule. This is similar to the current policy trending across the West. For instance, Canada’s once favourable immigration policies were partly due to the country’s needs. The ageing population and low birth rates led to a shortage in the labour force and created a vacuum that the Canadian government opened up to immigrants, of which 13.4 per cent of these immigrants were Africans, as mentioned earlier.

Today’s immigration restrictions are just a modern version of the same system. Canada’s open arms in the past were not out of goodwill; they simply needed labour. Now that their needs are met, they have pulled back. The West is still eager for Africa’s resources: our minerals, markets, and cheap labour, but they do not care for the African people. African lives are still seen as expendable.

The current state of the Democratic Republic of Congo exemplifies this issue. The country produces 70 per cent of the world’s cobalt, which is essential for smartphones, electric vehicles and laptops. Yet, it is one of the poorest countries in the world when it comes to development and the quality of life for its people. Its wealth serves the world, especially the West, but not its people.

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Similarly, Ivory Coast and Ghana produce over 70 per cent of the world’s cocoa, yet the farmers’ daily earnings are less than the cost of one chocolate bar. These farmers make $0.78 and $1 a day, respectively and therefore, struggle to keep up with the cost of running a farm. This usually leads to employing children for cheaper labour. This is yet another representation of how Africa faces exclusion from the wealth generated by their labour.

Additionally, in October 2023, the UK announced a rise in the cost of student and visiting visas by 600 per cent. This was also followed by a policy that prevented international students, including Nigerians, from bringing dependents. This wave of policies demonstrates the tightening of the UK’s immigration stance while continuously benefiting economically from the high visa and tuition costs. These policies exist to ensure international students go back to their countries after their studies, further solidifying the exclusion of Africans.

While Westerners come and go across African borders with ease—for tourism, investment, and, often, exploitation—Africans do not have the same privilege. Recently, the United States Department revised its visa reciprocity for Nigeria and Ghana. This change reduced tourist, business and academic travellers to a single entry visa, valid for three months—a stark contrast from the multiple-entry visas with 2 to 5 year validity previously granted.

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AFRICA MUST LOOK FORWARD

Migration in itself is a colonial legacy, a by-product of a continent stripped of its resources and forced to focus on the West. It should not come as a surprise that Africans turn to the West for refuge. It is imperative to note that African migrants do not head West to become burdens or for the pursuit of luxury; it is usually for survival. African immigrants are students seeking better education, professionals pursuing better opportunities, or individuals escaping conflict. They work, they build, they contribute. Given everything Africa has endured—slavery, colonialism, and continued economic exploitation—is it unreasonable to turn to the West for a chance at survival?

At some point, the West’s doors will open again, but not because they care about Africans, only because they need something. African resilience, skill, and labour will once again serve a purpose.

It is not unthinkable for a nation to defend and protect itself, but when that same nation played a critical role in dismantling the future of an entire continent, should it not also bear some responsibility?

Foreign aid will never be enough to repay the debt of exploitation, especially when the future of the continent continues to be shaped by decisions made outside the continent. Many experts have criticised foreign aid for its exploitative nature, highlighting how it serves the interests of the donor countries. Nations like the DRC, Mozambique, Mongolia, Namibia, Papua New Guinea and Guyana are all examples of where foreign aid is exchanged for contracts that grant foreign powers access to natural resources worth more than the aid provided.

Now more than ever, Africans must recognize that the continent’s progress cannot depend on whether the West opens or closes its doors when we come knocking. There is an urgent need for Africans to take charge of what is within our control; to unify, to build, and to create a path that is safe for us. Just as the West prioritizes its own interests, so too must Africa. We must craft policies that serve our people first. It is only in choosing ourselves that true progress will come⎈

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