Experts harp on accountability to strengthen liberty in Africa

The Liberalist Centre, a pro-freedom organisation, and development experts have renewed calls for accountability to fix Africa’s state of liberty and enable prosperity in the continent.

They made the call during the maiden edition of the Conference of Freedom Advocates 2025 in Abuja. The conference, themed ‘Inspire’, focuses on enabling conversations around free markets, limited government and regulations.

According to a statement released on Wednesday by Abdullah Tijani, the executive director of the Liberalist Centre, he reflected on the notion that Africa is poor because it is not free.

Mr Tijani, a legal practitioner, reiterated the importance of ideas and dialogue in strengthening liberty across African societies.

Speaking on accountability, Iniobong Usen, the senior program coordinator at the International Budget Partnership, explained that the major threat to liberty in Nigeria is government interference.

He said this interference usually touches a nation’s economy but is not limited. He cited the example of President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidies upon coming to power in 2023.

“For Nigeria, petroleum subsidy remains the big elephant in the room. The state-owned NNPC, used to be the sole importer of fuel products, meaning that they solely determined the price and the availability of the products.

“But with the removal of subsidy, we saw long fuse appear across the length and breadth,” he added.

Mr Usen noted that the collective efforts of citizens in demanding accountability and transparency from the national government will lead to prosperity in any society.

Participants speak
Muritala Abdullahi, a journalist, highlighted that the conference featured several thought-provoking sessions that examined the urgent need to rethink the factors hindering Africa’s economic and social growth.

“Freedom was placed at the forefront of the many possibilities being explored. It explored the impact of overarching government control on trade, security, agriculture, and other sectors. Panel discussions reflected on the kind of government Africa needs — and the kind it must move beyond — through a critical analysis of harsh policies in Nigeria and across the continent.

“As an advocate of freedom — encompassing individual liberty, free markets, and limited government — the conference left me inspired and better equipped with strategies to continue championing a freer and more prosperous Africa,” he said.

Another participant, Habibat Sani, a law graduate, stated that the conference encourage individuals like to collectively “promote liberty, good governance, and a society where every citizen has the freedom and opportunity to thrive.”

She added that she saw the gathering as an avenue to keep echoing the ideas of a freer society.