By Uko Etim 

UYO—The Pan-African Dialogue Institute (TPADI) has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to officially recognise May 25 as Africa Day and declare it a national public holiday, saying the move is vital to counter rising xenophobia, Afrophobia, and cultural alienation across the continent.  

Speaking at a international press conference in Uyo, TPADI President Dr. Effiong Udo said the demand was not symbolic but a “strategic, urgent, and national and continental necessity.”  

“Africa Day commemorates the founding of the former Organisation of African Unity on May 25, 1963. It represents the collective struggle of African peoples against colonialism, apartheid, racial oppression, economic exploitation, and cultural domination,” Udo said. “Despite Nigeria’s enormous sacrifices for African liberation and continental solidarity, Africa Day remains unrecognised officially within our national life.”  

He argued that formal recognition would create annual opportunities for civic education, cultural diplomacy, and historical reflection in schools, universities, media, and traditional institutions.  

Udo condemned recent incidents of xenophobic attacks against Africans in South Africa and hostile rhetoric targeting Nigerians and other migrants in Ghana.

 TPADI President also criticised remarks by Kenya’s President William Ruto mocking Nigerians’ English, stating that such comments “reinforce unhealthy stereotypes, deepen unnecessary divisions, and weaken the spirit of African solidarity.”  

He cited the case of three young job seekers in Akwa Ibom State who were reportedly mocked and denied access to a civil service recruitment process for presenting certificates in the Ibibio Language.

“When mastery of indigenous African languages becomes a basis for ridicule rather than pride, we are perpetuating colonial mentality and cultural self-rejection”.  

Udo urged Governor Umo Bassey Eno of Akwa Ibom and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to intentionally promote Akwa Ibom cultural identity in their public appearances and dress, describing leadership as both administrative and symbolic.  

He also called for scrutiny of bilateral economic agreements, including the recent France-Nigeria taxation deal, to ensure they protect Nigeria’s fiscal interests and industrial growth. It commended Ghana’s initiative at the United Nations to recognize the trans-Atlantic slave trade as “the greatest crime against humanity” and urged Nigeria to support the effort.  

Among other recommendations, TPADI asked the Federal Government to integrate Pan-African studies into educational curricula, support national Africa Day festivals, promote indigenous languages and heritage, and lead continental conversations against xenophobia and anti-African hostility.  

The institute announced its 2nd Biennial International Dialogue on Pan-Africanism and the launch of a $500 million scholarship fund, scheduled for June 3–6, 2026, at the University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin Republic.