Okunade and His Continuous Efforts at Combatting Border, Immigration Crimes

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April 25, 2025
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By Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

In the face of recurrent and persistent migrant crisis and border security challenges in Africa, Samuel Kehinde Okunade has been consistently involved in addressing Border Security and Migration in Africa.

Okunade with his experience having served at the Department of Peace, Security and Humanitarian Studies, University of Ibadan and the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Bowen University, Iwo, has established himself as a distinct and thorough scholar, contributing immensely to understanding the dynamics of these phenomena and its many implications across board.

Interested in border security dynamics in West and Southern Africa, he has investigated and produced several scholarly literatures on cross-border crimes such as child trafficking, child labour, smuggling of contrabands, narcotics, arms and ammunitions across many sub-regions in the African continent.

With over a decade experience in the industry, his research in this area is significant because he explores these issues and other migrant issues and presents practical policy recommendations to address and eliminate them.

These targeted research covers policy briefs, journal articles, book chapters, reviews and reports on the dynamics of border security and migration in African continent.

Okunade’s impressive work in these areas includes his work with several academic, non-academic, civil and nongovernmental organizations in African and international countries.

In West Africa, his work and study experience in some prestigious academic institutions such as the University of Ibadan, Bowen University, Iwo and a non-academic organization in Special Consultancy Status with the United Nations ECOSOC as well as the Nigerian Immigration Service has also impacted his research on relevant data on migration trends and border security dynamics within the western sub-region.

In the SADC region, his work and study experience in prestigious institutions as the University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Pretoria, Durban University of Technology, University of Johannesburg, has also significantly impacted Okunade’s research in border security and migration trends within the region. Internationally, his experience at the University of Leeds, UK and the New York University, USA has also been relevant in establishing him as an African scholar on migration dynamics.

As a versatile scholar, his works on migration trends especially of African youths and border security has extended beyond academic writings to involve blogs, Op Eds, podcasts and media engagements.

These also include his authored books and journals on migration and border security across the African continent, as well as research reports and policy briefs for different African and international organizations in Africa.

His work on free movement protocols in the ECOWAS and the African continent at large has been instrumental in detailing the motivations and challenges of such continental initiatives.

His articles address the fact that despite all countries showing interests in Free Movement protocols across Africa, there has been relatively zero commitment on their parts to achieve this because of the fear entertained by some middle-income countries like Nigeria/South Africa because of the relatively porous and unregulated migration trends within their sub-regions.

These are well addressed in his articles on Schengen Agreement and AU Protocol on Free Movement as well as his book on Free Movement and the AfCFTA.

Okunade’s passion for addressing the cross-border crimes and ills of migration has also extended to younger generations of scholars who have been modelled 1by his writings and supervision in the course of pursuing academic degrees.

Undergraduate and graduate students within and beyond the African continent have been mentored directly by him through thesis supervision, classroom engagement and conference sessions on the best ways to addressing the ills of economic and climate-induced migration as well as the dangers cross-border crimes.

Particularly on the issues of cross-border crimes, his research draws attention to borderlands across Africa that are prone to these crimes because of their perpetual political marginalization from the whole.

This is highlighted in his research on insurgency and the humanitarian crisis in north-eastern Nigeria. His research amongst others details the need for inclusive governance and more continental approach to addressing this menace.

Samuel Okunade’s experience and passion in seeking lasting solutions to border and migration-related problems has been well recognized by the national and international community, evident in his co-authoring reports for The Open University, England, being an outcome of an EU-sponsored project on irregular migration from the Global South most importantly, Africa into Europe.

He has also been recipient of several grant awards such as the Association of Borderlands Studies (ABS) Conference Travel Grant (2023) and the International Political Science Association (IPSA) Conference Travel Grant (2023) amongst others which has positively impacted his experience as a migration and border security scholar.

His professional membership with prestigious professional bodies such as the Association of Borderland Studies (USA), Cynosure Support and Development Foundation (Nigeria), International Political Science Association (IPSA), CODESRIA (Senegal), South African Association of Political Studies (South Africa), Regional Studies Association (UK) amongst others all reflect his commitment to contributing to the actualization of African citizenship and a prosperous African continent as envisaged by the AU.

Conclusively, Okunade remains committed to his passionate search for a lasting solution to Africa’s border porosity and migrant problems. This is a positive attribute that can mentor generations of young African border scholars both now and in the future

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April 26, 2025
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World Leaders Gather in Rome for Pope Francis Funeral Today

*Trump, Macron, Zelenskyy, Starmer, others pay final respects

*Akpabio leads Nigeria’s delegation

Sunday Ehigiator with agency report

Some world leaders, heads of state and other dignitaries are presently in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, the deceased head of the Roman Catholic church.
Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is heading the West African country’s delegation to attend the funeral.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, yesterday.

Tinubu sent the five-member delegation, which also includes the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji; Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama.

The statement added, “The delegation will formally deliver a letter conveying President Tinubu’s sympathy and condolences on Pope Francis’ passing to the Acting Head of the Vatican.
“On Monday, President Tinubu joined the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide to mourn the death of Pope Francis, who he described as ‘a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions,” the statement added.

The Vatican said 164 delegations had confirmed their attendance, including 54 heads of state and 12 reigning sovereigns.
More than 250,000 people paid their last respects to late Pope Francis over three days of public viewing by ordinary mourners and statesmen alike that ended yesterday, the eve of his state funeral at St. Peter’s Square and burial in a basilica outside the Vatican’s walls.

US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are among those attending the funeral.
Trump, travelled with First Lady Melania Trump.
According to Euro News, among other confirmed attendees included French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, Prince William, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The Vatican had extended the basilica’s opening hours overnight due to the large turnout.
A group of poor and homeless people would meet the pope’s coffin before the funeral today.
His final resting place is being prepared within the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

Pope Francis chose to be buried near an icon of the Virgin Mary that he often prayed before.
The late pontiff was laid out in red robes, a bishop’s pointed miter and a rosary entwined in his hands.
One of the mourners, Giovanni Guarino drove from Naples with his girlfriend to bid their final farewells to the deceased Pope, moved by his work to help the young and disadvantaged.

“I hope that his successor follows the footsteps of Francis,” the Associated Press quoted Guarino to have said.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell will preside over the closing and sealing of the coffin in his role of camerlengo, or interim Vatican administrator.
A white cloth will be placed over the pope’s face, and a bag containing coins minted during his papacy will be put in the coffin along with a one-page written account of his papacy.

The work of the conclave to choose a new pope won’t start until at least May 5, after nine days of public mourning.
Cardinals have also been arriving in Rome, with 149 meeting yesterday morning to discuss church business.
They won’t meet again until next week, meaning a conclave date is unlikely to be set until after the funeral.
Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, who hosted Francis during his last papal trip, to Corsica last year, remembered Francis as “a free man” who “humanised the church without desacralising it.”

He described the atmosphere inside the meetings as “good,” but said that they weren’t yet “at the point of decisions; we are in discussions.”
In keeping with Francis’ embrace of the marginalised, the Vatican said a group of poor and needy people will meet the pope’s coffin to pay homage to him when it arrives at St. Mary Major Basilica for burial on Saturday. It has already become a point of pilgrimage.

The tomb is being prepared behind a wooden barrier within the basilica that he chose to be near an icon of the Madonna that he revered and often prayed before. The burial will take place in private, the Vatican said.
Photos released by the Vatican yesterday, show the marble tombstone flat against the pavement, with the simple engraving in Latin that he requested in his last testament: “Franciscus.”

Cardinals will visit the St. Mary Major Basilica on Sunday. Entering through the Holy Door, they will visit the Salus Populi Romani icon, which was dear to Francis, and celebrate evening prayers, the Vatican said.

Italy is deploying more than 2,500 police officers and 1,500 soldiers to provide security during the funeral, which is expected to gather about 200,000 mourners in St. Peter’s Square and up to 300,000 people along the 4-kilometer (2½-mile) route from the Vatican to the pope’s burial place across Rome.
The major security operation includes stationing an armed naval vessel off the coast, and putting squads of fighter jets on standby, Italian media reported.

*Trump, Macron, Zelenskyy, Starmer, others pay final respects *Akpabio leads Nigeria’s delegation Sunday Ehigiator with agency report Some world leaders, heads of state and other dignitaries are presently in Rome for

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April 26, 2025
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Okonjo-Iweala Urges US to Reconsider Reciprocal Tariffs on Poor African Nations

*At $187.64bn, Nigeria’s GDP drops to fourth in Africa

*Trump moves to resolve violent wars, conflicts in Africa

Eromosele Abiodun and Nume Ekeghe in Washington DC

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday, advised the United States to critically re-evaluate its stance on reciprocal tariffs, particularly as they impact the fragile economies of poor African nations.
This was as United States President, Donald Trump, announced yesterday, that he was involvced in settling violent conflicts in Africa.
“Big news coming out of Africa, where I am also involved in settling violent wars and conflicts. I don’t know why so many of these events have fallen to me and my Administration, but they have, and we have done an unprecedented job in getting them SETTLED or, putting them in position for PEACE. STAY TUNED!!!,” the US President wrote on his Truth Social, a social media platform.
The WTO boss, who made her remarks in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing International Monetary Fund/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC, also urged African countries to deepen self-reliance by boosting intra-African trade and do more to attract more domestic investment, stressing that the global aid landscape was shrinking fast.
Nigeria’s decline reflects mounting macroeconomic challenges, including foreign exchange volatility, persistent inflation, and sluggish economic diversification.
Trump had slammed reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners, including some African countries, claiming that the U.S. had suffered from unfair trading relations with most of its partners.
The measure had prompted varied responses and sparked retaliatory actions from other countries. It had also generated shock waves across the globe, leading to turmoil in financial markets across the world.
Commenting on the matter, Okonjo-Iweala called on the United States to waive or remove reciprocal tariffs on exports from Africa’s poorest countries, warning that the economic consequences could be devastating for small, vulnerable economies like Lesotho.
Citing Lesotho as a case in point, she explained: “Lesotho, that everybody is talking about, has 50 per cent reciprocal tariffs. It exports $200 million worth of textiles to the US, imports about $3 million worth of goods from the US, is so little.
“If those tariffs are implemented, it will lose almost half a percentage point of its GDP growth, which is huge for a poor country. It will lose a lot of its exports to the US, even though it might gain a little bit by exporting elsewhere.

“So the issue is, how can we avoid having such reciprocal tariffs on Lesotho? We are asking the US to look at least developed countries, the poorest, and to try to waive these reciprocal tariffs, to remove them, so that the poorest countries and Africa as a whole don’t have these tariffs.”
She also warned that similar situations exist across the continent, with some countries like Rwanda, facing 21 per cent tariffs, while their neighbours like Ghana face only 10 per cent
“Guess what? Ghana’s export is what? Cocoa. Almost a billion dollars’ worth to the US. So it’s going to disappear across the border if you have differential reciprocal tariffs,” she said.
While acknowledging that overall trade between Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States was relatively small, Okonjo-Iweala however, underscored that this reality presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Africa.
“Sub-Saharan Africa’s exports 6.5 per cent of Africa’s exports only go to the US, and 4.4 per cent of its imports come from the US. So the impact for the continent as a whole is not that bad,” she noted.
“However, it’s both good news and bad news. Good news is that it’s limited. Bad news as well we’re not trading that much, which is not a good thing.”
She stressed the need for African countries to turn inward and focus on boosting intra-African trade as a means of insulating their economies from external shocks.
“So, from the global environment, the message to Africa is: you have to rely more on self-reliance. We have to do more in Africa to rely on our resources. Now it’s very clear, aid is disappearing. Okay, there may be a little left, but it’s disappearing.
“We need investment. So when you need investment, you have to do so much more in terms of mobilising domestic resources to put infrastructure in place, removing bureaucratic barriers so investment can come in. And this is what we need to do. And we need to trade more,” she added.
She pointed out that while Africa’s contribution to global trade remains marginal at only three percent, the continent’s intra-regional trade stands at just 16–20 per cent an area with massive potential for growth.
“If we don’t add value to our products, we keep exporting the same things, you know, commodities that are not processed, we don’t create jobs. So we must attract investment to change that, and then trade internally.”
Illustrating the opportunity within Africa, she said: “Lesotho is exporting $200 million worth of textiles to the US, and we’re all lamenting this market will be taken away. Guess what? Africa spends $7 billion importing textiles. So why can’t Lesotho sell its textiles in the African market? It’s making jeans. We import jeans, whether it’s first-hand or second-hand. Why can’t we support trade within Africa and sell?”
Equally, latest economic data on the continent revealed that Nigeria has dropped to fourth place in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa, at $187.64 billion.
The figures posted by the Afreximbank’s Research Unit, on its X-handle, ranked South Africa at the top with $400.19 billion, followed by Egypt at $383.11 billion and Algeria at $264.91 billion.
Commenting on the country’s drop to position of fourth largest economy in Africa, Afreximbank’s Research on its X (formerly Twitter) handle wrote: “Africa’s economic landscape is shifting, and the latest 2024 GDP rankings from the IMF spotlight the top 10 economies powering the continent’s growth story.
“South Africa takes the lead with a projected GDP of $400.19 billion, closely followed by Egypt at $383.11 billion, reflecting North Africa’s continued economic strength. Algeria ranks third with $264.91 billion, showcasing the significance of hydrocarbon revenues and public investment. Notably, Nigeria, often regarded as Africa’s largest economy in the past, now ranks fourth at $187.64 billion.
“The dip underscores the deep macroeconomic imbalances and FX challenges Nigeria faces despite its vast population and resource base. Morocco comes in fifth with $155.35 billion, bolstered by a diversified economy and stable macroeconomic management. Ethiopia and Kenya, ranking sixth and seventh respectively, represent East Africa’s emergence as a dynamic growth zone, thanks to infrastructure-driven development and services expansion. Angola, with a GDP of $115.95 billion, continues to leverage its oil sector rebound.”

IMF Seeks Transparency in Nigeria’s Oil Sector, Improved Data Quality to Deepen Reform Gains

Meanwhile, the IMF has called on the Nigerian government to enhance transparency in the oil sector and prioritise improvements in data quality, noting that these steps are crucial to sustaining the country’s ongoing reform drive and unlocking its full economic potential.
Speaking yesterday during the unveiling of the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook report titled, ‘Recovery Interrupted’, Director of the IMF’s African Department, Abebe Aemro Selassie, said more work was needed to ensure that recent fiscal and monetary reforms translate into tangible development outcomes
He said: “In terms of the reforms that have been going on in Nigeria and the peculiarities of the challenge, pressing to note is that we have been impressed by how much reforms have been undertaken in recent years.
“Most notably trying to go to the heart of the cause of the macroeconomic imbalances in Nigeria, which, of course, are related to the fact that oil subsidies are taking a very large share of the limited tax revenues that the government have, and not necessarily being used in the most effective way to help the most vulnerable people.
“The issues related to the imbalances in the external side, with the exchange rate extremely out of line. So, it’s been really good to see the government taking these all head on and also beginning to roll out the third component of the reforms that we’ve been advocating for, which is to expand social protection, to target generalised subsidies to help the most vulnerable,” he said.
However, he stressed the need to enhance fiscal transparency, particularly in the oil sector to ensure that gains from subsidy removal translate into improved government revenue.
He also called for an overhaul in how public finance was being managed in the country, to provide room for crucial investments in education, infrastructure, and health.
“This has all been very good to see, but more can be done, particularly on the data front, expanding social protection and also enhancing a lot more transparency in the oil sector, so that the removal of subsidies does translate into flow of revenue into the government budgets.”
Selassie noted that during a recent IMF mission to Nigeria, the Fund engaged with key stakeholders on various macroeconomic issues, including how to strengthen the investment climate to crowd in private capital and diversify the economy away from oil dependence.
On Nigeria’s fiscal constraints, he called for a measured approach to borrowing while also calling for more robust domestic resource mobilisation to fund development priorities.
“What is needed is a judicious and agile way of dealing with the financing challenges the country faces. In the long run, the financing gap can only be filled by permanent sources such as revenue mobilisation, but in the interim, carefully looking at all of the options the country has to borrow in a contained way will be part of that solution,” he added.
Selassie also lauded ongoing efforts by the Nigerian authorities to improve data quality, describing the work as critical to evidence-based policymaking.

*At $187.64bn, Nigeria’s GDP drops to fourth in Africa *Trump moves to resolve violent wars, conflicts in Africa Eromosele Abiodun and Nume Ekeghe in Washington DC The Director-General of the

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