The President of the African Bar Association (AfBA), High Chief Ibrahim Eddy Mark, has urged African leaders, policymakers, and legal practitioners to critically examine the true impact of foreign interests on the continent’s growth. Delivering his welcome address at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Annual Conference of the African Bar Association at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana, Mark declared that Africa stands “at a crossroads between opportunity and exploitation.” He challenged delegates to interrogate whether foreign investments genuinely foster development or merely deepen dependency and extractive relationships.
Mark warned that the continued exploitation of Africa’s natural and human resources under the guise of partnership has led to environmental degradation, unfair wages, and economic inequality. He called for a paradigm shift towards fairer partnerships rooted in dignity, respect for local laws, and value addition within Africa. Touching on issues of mobility, he decried discriminatory visa policies and renewed the AfBA’s call for a Visa-Free Africa, arguing that true integration requires the free movement of Africans across their continent. He also emphasized that Africa must build stronger transportation networks and defend its economic sovereignty in global maritime and aviation systems.
The AfBA President further expressed concern over the exodus of the AES states—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—from ECOWAS, urging dialogue, reform, and reconciliation to restore unity in West Africa. He reaffirmed AfBA’s readiness to assist in peaceful mediation, noting the Association’s past roles in resolving regional conflicts. On labour and youth, Mark condemned exploitative practices under foreign enterprises and urged protection for African workers, athletes, and creatives, insisting that “economic partnerships must translate into fair wages and respect for labour rights.”
Concluding his address, Mark called for African lawyers to lead the charge for economic justice and accountable governance. He declared that Africa’s development must be driven by Africans, not dictated by foreign powers. “Foreign investment must mean more than extraction,” he said. “If it does not create industries, jobs, and respect our environment, then it is not investment—it is exploitation.” He welcomed delegates to Ghana, urging them to make the conference a rallying call for Africa’s rebirth in justice, unity, and self-determination.
