Offokaja Foundation

Category: Advocacy

  • A National Water Pipeline System for Nigeria: From the Atlantic to Lake Chad

    A National Water Pipeline System for Nigeria: From the Atlantic to Lake Chad

    The Case for Integrated Water and Power Plant (IWPP) Desalination as National Priority Infrastructure

    By

    The Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation

    An International Development Think Tank

    March 2026

    Executive Summary

    Bottom Line: Nigeria’s water security and power stability cannot be achieved through conventional freshwater sources and a fragmented grid. The 90% depletion of Lake Chad and the accelerating salinization of coastal aquifers constitute a national emergency. This moment demands an immediate, scalable, and dual-purpose infrastructure response.

    Proposal: The Offokaja Foundation recommends the immediate deployment of Integrated Water and Power Plants (IWPP) — also termed Independent Water and Power Plants—along Nigeria’s 853 km Atlantic coastline. These are single-infrastructure facilities delivering dual output: 85–95% of generated electricity is dispatched to the national grid, while the remaining 5–15% drives large-scale seawater desalination through captured waste heat.

    Strategic Outcome:

    · A National Water Backbone pipeline system delivering potable water to every state.

    · Stabilized grid power for homes, hospitals, factories, and farms.

    · A strategic, engineered mechanism to reverse the ecological collapse of Lake Chad.

    Financing Framework: BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer).

    Private capital mobilized through Public-Private Partnerships, secured by redirecting currently flared natural gas as a low-cost fuel input.

    Immediate Call to Action: Inclusion in the 2027 National Budget. Establishment of a National Desalination Authority. Commencement of pilot projects in coastal states by the fourth quarter of 2027.

    1. The Crisis: A Convergence of Water and Power Failure

    Nigeria faces a dual infrastructural deficit that conventional approaches have failed to arrest. The numbers tell a stark story, but behind them are millions of daily struggles—children walking miles for water, businesses shuttered by blackouts, and farmers watching their land turn to dust.

    Drinking Water Access

    Over 60 million Nigerians lack access to safely managed drinking water. This number will climb as the population approaches a projected 400 million by 2050. Climate variability and pollution of rivers and lakes are rendering traditional sources increasingly unreliable.

    Electricity Reliability

    Chronic power outages persist nationwide. The economic drag is substantial—estimated at 2–4% of GDP annually —but the human cost is immeasurable. Students study in darkness. Hospitals rely on diesel generators. Small enterprises operate at a perpetual disadvantage.

    Lake Chad

    The lake’s surface area has contracted by up to 90% since the 1960s. This is not merely an environmental statistic. It is a security crisis, a food crisis, and a humanitarian crisis affecting millions across the Lake Chad Basin.

    Groundwater Integrity

    The nation’s underground reserves are failing in region-specific ways:

    · South: Saline intrusion has rendered boreholes inoperative in major population centers including Lekki and Apapa in Lagos State; and Bonny, and Port Harcourt in Rivers State.

    . Fracture Dependency in Both Northern and Southern Zones: In Enugu State, Obudu in Cross River State, and Plateau State, the geology is fracture-dependent. A driller who misses a specific rock fracture by even a few metres drills a dry hole. This makes reliable groundwater extraction exceptionally difficult and expensive.

    · North: Desertification causes seasonal failure of shallow wells and hand-dug sources, forcing communities onto distant and often unsafe alternatives.

    The Critical Gap

    Despite years of announcements and feasibility studies, Nigeria currently operates zero large-scale public desalination plants or IWPPs. The nation remains almost exclusively dependent on increasingly stressed and unreliable conventional sources. This is the gap this proposal seeks to close.

    2. The Proposed Solution: Integrated Water and Power Plants (IWPP)

    Definition

    An IWPP is a co-generation facility that produces electricity for the national grid and uses the resulting waste thermal energy to desalinate seawater. This integration achieves 20–40% greater energy efficiency than constructing separate standalone power and water facilities. You solve two problems with one plant.

    How It Works in Practice

    Prince Charles Offokaja, Director General of the Offokaja Foundation, explains the operational reality:

    “In a standard IWPP configuration, only 5% to 15% of total electrical output is consumed by plant operations—the pumps, fans, and the reverse osmosis desalination process itself. The remaining 85% to 95% is exported directly to the national grid. A 2,000 MW IWPP would therefore deliver approximately 1,700 to 1,900 MW of new, reliable power to the Nigerian economy while simultaneously producing millions of liters of potable water every single day. This is not a trade-off between water and power. This is a force multiplier for national development.”

    Infrastructure Component: The National Water Backbone

    The desalinated water would be distributed via a high-pressure, dedicated pipeline network designed with four clear objectives:

    1. Supply coastal states facing critical groundwater salinization.

    2. Deliver water to inland states with geological or topological barriers to groundwater extraction.

    3. Provide a drought-resistant supply to northern states affected by advancing desertification.

    4. Enable strategic, metered water transfer to the Lake Chad Basin for long-term ecological replenishment.

    3. International Precedent: This Has Been Done Before

    Nigeria is not being asked to gamble on experimental technology. The systems we propose are mature, operational at continental scale, and have transformed water security in nations facing far harsher climates than our own.

    Saudi Arabia

    The world’s largest producer of desalinated water, generating over 11.1 million cubic meters daily. Critically, Saudi Arabia operates over 8,400 kilometers of dedicated water pipelines transporting water from the coast to the inland capital, Riyadh. This is the proof of concept for long-distance, high-volume water transfer from Nigeria’s coast to its interior.

    Israel

    Facing the ecological decline of the Sea of Galilee—a freshwater lake of immense historical and strategic importance—Israel constructed the “Reverse Carrier” project. This initiative pumps desalinated water from the Mediterranean Sea uphill to replenish and stabilize the lake. The direct parallel to a Lake Chad replenishment strategy could not be clearer.

    4. Strategic Advantages and Economic Rationale

    Fuel Security: Turning Waste into Wealth

    IWPPs require a stable energy source. Nigeria possesses a unique and currently wasted asset: flared natural gas. Redirecting even a fraction of the gas currently burned off in the Niger Delta to coastal IWPPs transforms an environmental liability and economic loss into a secure, low-cost strategic fuel supply. This single decision insulates the project from volatile imported diesel prices and dramatically lowers the long-term cost of water.

    Economic and Social Returns

    This is an investment, not an expense. The returns accrue across multiple sectors:

    · Employment: Each major IWPP complex will generate several thousand direct construction jobs and between 300 and 500 permanent, high-skilled operational positions. Pipeline construction creates additional employment along entire corridors.

    · Public Health: The provision of WHO-standard potable water eliminates waterborne pathogens and reduces hypertension linked to long-term consumption of saline borehole water.

    · Agricultural Productivity: Reliable water supply for irrigation and livestock decouples food production from the unpredictability of seasonal rainfall.

    · Productivity Gains: Millions of lost person-hours—currently spent walking for water or waiting for power to return—are reclaimed for education, commerce, and family life.

    5. Financing Structure

    Recommended Model: BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer)

    This framework aligns with global best practices for large-scale desalination infrastructure. It protects the public purse while ensuring private sector efficiency:

    1. Build: A private consortium finances and constructs the IWPP and associated pipeline infrastructure.

    2. Own: The consortium owns and operates the asset for a defined concession period, typically 20 to 25 years.

    3. Operate: The consortium sells water and power under long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and Water Purchase Agreements (WPA) with the Federal Government or designated off-takers.

    4. Transfer: At the conclusion of the concession, full ownership and operational control transfer to the Government of Nigeria at no additional cost.

    Potential Capital Sources

    · International Development Finance Institutions: World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank.

    · Bilateral Partners and Export Credit Agencies: French Development Agency (AFD).

    · International Water Infrastructure Operators: Veolia, Suez, IDE Technologies, ACWA Power.

    · Domestic Institutional Investors: Nigerian pension funds and sovereign investment vehicles (via infrastructure bonds).

    6. Brine Management and Circular Economy Potential

    Desalination produces a concentrated saline byproduct known as brine. Responsible management is essential, and the Foundation recommends a dual-track approach that turns a potential waste stream into an economic opportunity.

    Track A: Economic Valorization

    Where geography permits, IWPP facilities should be co-located with solar evaporation salt farms. This transforms brine into two revenue-generating subsectors:

    · Artisanal Sea Salt: Premium salt production for culinary and industrial markets.

    · Brine Mining: Extraction of commercially valuable minerals including magnesium, potassium, and potentially lithium.

    Track B: Deep Ocean Disposal

    Where co-location is not feasible, brine is returned to the ocean via sub-thermocline outfalls equipped with diffuser technology. This ensures rapid mixing and dilution within safe environmental parameters. This is standard, regulated practice in global desalination operations worldwide.

    7. Calls to Action

    To the Executive Branch (Federal Government of Nigeria)

    1. Declare: Classify IWPP desalination as a National Priority Infrastructure Project under the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Act.

    2. Budget: Allocate funding for pilot project preparation and viability gap funding in the 2027 National Budget and the 2027–2029 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

    3. Structure: Authorize the Ministry of Finance and the ICRC to commence formal PPP procurement for coastal IWPP pilot projects.

    4. Coordinate: Instruct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to initiate technical and diplomatic consultations with Lake Chad Basin Commission member states regarding a coordinated water transfer framework.

    5. Plan: Commission a National Pipeline Corridor Study to secure rights-of-way for the National Water Backbone before competing land uses foreclose options.

    To the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives)

    1. Legislate: Introduce and pass a Bill to establish a National Desalination Authority with a clear mandate for regulation, procurement oversight, and tariff setting.

    2. Incentivize: Enact legislation providing full import duty waivers and tax holidays for IWPP equipment, reverse osmosis membranes, and energy recovery devices.

    3. Oversee: Direct the Joint Committees on Water Resources, Power, and Finance to hold public hearings and produce a binding roadmap for IWPP deployment within 180 days.

    To the Media and the Nigerian Public

    This policy shift requires sustained public attention. The media must move beyond reporting the daily hardships of water scarcity and begin scrutinizing the policy response—or lack thereof— to this enduring crisis. The public must hold elected representatives accountable for moving this initiative from a policy brief to a construction site. Your voice is the ultimate catalyst for action.

    8. Conclusion

    The Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation assesses that Integrated Water and Power Plant (IWPP) desalination represents the highest-leverage, most technically mature, and financially viable intervention available to simultaneously address Nigeria’s water insecurity and power deficit.

    The Atlantic Ocean is Nigeria’s largest and most reliable aquifer. The natural gas currently flared is a wasted national endowment that can power this transformation. The engineering is proven. The financing models exist.

    What remains is the political will to execute.

    The Foundation stands ready to provide technical advisory support, model concession agreements, and legislative drafting assistance to the Federal Government and the National Assembly.

    The time for bold, decisive action is now.

    The Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation

    March 2026

    #IWPPDesalinationForNigeria #WaterForAll #PowerForAll

  • Africa’s 6th Region Awaits: Offokaja Foundation Maps Path for AU ‘Yes’ Vote on Haiti

    Africa’s 6th Region Awaits: Offokaja Foundation Maps Path for AU ‘Yes’ Vote on Haiti

    After Foundation’s 2024 Letter Catalyzed Kenya’s Historic Advocacy for Haiti’s Inclusion in AU, Chairperson Youssouf Should Transmit Haiti’s Stalled Request
    The Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation International, a think-and-do tank, today issued a clarion call to newly elected Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Amb. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf to rectify one of the AU’s most glaring oversights – the stalled membership bid of Haiti, the world’s first free Black republic.

    The Foundation, which in September 2024, successfully petitioned Kenya to champion Haiti’s bid at the 2025 AU Summit, now urges immediate AUC action to correct the 2016 decision that stalled Haiti’s membership bid.

    The Foundation extends its deepest gratitude to the Republic of Kenya and it’s listening leader, H.E. President William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto for the country’s visionary Pan-African leadership in championing Haiti’s rightful place in the African Union. Kenya’s historic advocacy demonstrates its unwavering commitment to uniting all six regions of Africa—including the Diaspora—as equal members of our continental family.

    Director General of the Offokaja Foundation, Prince Charles Offokaja, stated, ‘Kenya’s call for Haiti to be officially recognized as part of Africa’s 6th Region is in line with Article 3 (q) of the Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union. Thus it reflects the legal and moral imperatives we humbly presented to them in our September 2024 advocacy letter.

    Kenya’s courageous stand for Haiti’s inclusion has etched its name in the annals of Pan-African history. We must remember that the African Diaspora is not homogeneous, but instead is made up of several groupings. One group are migrants who still hold (or whose ancestors hold/held) AU passports; but another, more marginalized group are the Afro Americans whose ancestors were forcefully moved out of their original homes in Africa to the Americas during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

    Not creating an avenue for Afro-American majority States and minority communities to participate fully in the building of the AU risks cutting them off permanently from their African roots. That’s unfair.

    ‘But by championing our shared conviction of the right of the Diaspora to Fully participate in the building of the African Union, Kenya has honored Mother Africa who yearns for a family fully united, covering all her children.

    ‘Kenya’s embrace of Article 3(q) has set a precedent for AU Member States to follow—one rooted in historical justice, not just geography. To Haitians and all descendants of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Kenya’s leadership sends a clarion call: We are one Big Family, and you have a right to participate Fully in the family meetings.’

    This is diplomacy at its most noble—a triumph of principle over politics, and a testament to Kenya’s role as the beating heart of Pan-Africanism.

    Consequently, we call upon AU Chairperson, H.E Mahmoud Ali Youssouf to duly transmit Haiti’s application in line with Article 3 (q). He should become the Great Emancipator of our time.

    To the Member States, we call on you to join Kenya to vote Haiti in. Together, you can make the Sixth Region a beneficial reality to all Africans. Make Mother Africa proud.

    The Path Forward

    1. Immediate Transmission: The new AU Commission Chairperson must circulate Haiti’s 2016 application to all Member States for vote
    2. Sixth Region Integration: African leaders must expressly invite and encourage States in the African Diaspora such as Brazil (the world’s second most populous black country); Jamaica (which has a very strong link with its African roots); Barbados (which has a Commission for Pan-African Affairs); and other Diaspora States to apply for AU membership
    3. Encourage Economic Unity: Encourage future AU Member States like Haiti to join the AU’s free trade area, AfCFTA to unlock transformative trade opportunities. Prince Offokaja adds, ‘The ports of the 6th Region of Africa have to become ports of origin and of final destination in the framework of intra African trade within AfCFTA.’
    As H.E. Governor Peter Mba of Enugu State, Nigeria recently declared: “AfCFTA is not a feel-good creation. Let us not allow regionalism to become a barrier to Pan-African growth. Let us unite our markets, our ports, our rails, and our ambitions.”

    Why This Matters Now

    – 2025 marks the AU’s “Year of Reparations”
    – Haiti faces unprecedented crises while being denied its African identity
    – Kenya’s leadership in calls for Haiti/6th Region recognition shows growing Pan-African consensus

    Precedents
    Haiti’s case mirrors several historical and geopolitical examples:

    – The Arab League strictly adheres to Article 1 of its Charter and therefore includes Arab countries that aren’t geographically in the Arabian Peninsula within its Membership.

    – The Lake Chad Basin Commission, strategically includes Libya and the Central African Republic, even though they don’t have a coastline on the lake.

    – Seven of the 13 Member States of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), do not border the Black Sea but were crucially granted membership.

    – The European Union’s current inclusion of the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla, despite their geographical location outside Europe.

    ‘Kenya has courageously set the ball rolling. It’s the turn of the new AUC Chairperson and the other Member States to take the Pan-African baton and run heroically with it. Make Mother Africa happy!’, concludes Prince Offokaja.

    Campaign Hashtags:
    #LetHaitiIn #AU6thRegion #AfricanDiaspora #AfroAmericans #PanAfricanism #HaitiToAU #HaitiToAfricanUnion

    This statement is endorsed by the Offokaja Foundation’s global network of partners and allies.

    Background on the Offokaja Foundation’s #HaitiToAU Efforts

    As a think-and-do tank, we don’t just analyze problems – we drive solutions:

    – September 2024: Successfully petitioned Kenya’s Pan-Africanist President William Samoe Ruto, a leader with a listening ear, to courageously speak up for Haiti’s inclusion in the AU at the 2025 AU Summit ‘even if at first he stands alone’.

    – 2025 Summit: Secured Kenya’s historic advocacy at the AU Assembly, marking the first time since Haiti’s bid was stalled that an AU Member State formally pushed for Haiti’s inclusion in the AU

    – Legal Groundwork: Established the ironclad case for Haiti’s qualification under Article 3(q) of the Protocol on Amendments to the AU Constitutive Act

    Legal History

    Our initial strategic litigation advocacy since 2020 has advanced critical legal discourse:

    – Communication 748/21 (Offokaja Foundation v. Libya, 2020):

    Rationale: the case was filed against Libya, the ideological cradle of the modern AU (via the 1999 Declaration that birthed the AU from the OAU) as a ‘cry for help’. The hope was to influence Libya to take up the cause for Haiti’s inclusion in the AU relying on Article 3 (q) and relevant provisions of the Union’s Constitutive Act.

    In its Decision the Commission inter alia suggested the AUC’s Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO) as ‘an avenue for engagement the Complainant may wish to explore’.

    But the Foundation’s main goal remains for Haiti and other willing 6th Region States to be given Full AU membership, and for willing members of minority Afro American communities to also be given alternative pathways to dual citizenship that could enable them participate Fully in the building of the AU in line with Article 3 (q).

    While we appreciate any opportunity to engage with other civil society organizations via CIDO, we believe that Haiti and other willing 6th Region States should also have seats in the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

    – ECW/CCJ/JUD/09/24 (Offokaja Foundation v. Nigeria, 2022):
    Rationale: we wanted Nigeria, the most populous African country to bring up Haiti’s case at the AU, relying on Article 3 (q) and relevant provisions of the Union’s Constitutive Act.

    Pivotal moment for Applicants: During oral hearing a judge inspired us by stating that while he personally supports our case for Haiti joining the African Union, the Honourable Court had no jurisdiction to adjudicate over the application. He advised the Plaintiffs to ‘take the matter to the UN, take the matter to the African Union’, and concluded that he’s impressed with the reasoning. This inspired us to continue despite the failure of the application.

    While these cases didn’t yield favorable judgments, they were the stepping stones to our successful advocacy with Kenya, and the other successes to come.

    How To Support

    Support this cause by:

    1. Using the hashtags #HaitiToAU and #LetHaitiIn to raise awareness.

    2. Signing our petition to demand the AU transmit Haiti’s membership request.

    3. Donating to amplify our advocacy!

    Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for uniting Africa!

  • Offokaja Foundation urges AU: unfreeze Haiti’s membership bid

    Offokaja Foundation urges AU: unfreeze Haiti’s membership bid

    The Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation International, a think-and-do tank has congratulated the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on his election victory. The Foundation has also urged him to speedily transmit Haiti’s AU membership notification for the Member States to decide on. This message was contained in a letter sent via email to the AU leader.

    The message reads:

    “Dear H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf,  

    “Excellency, the Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation International—a Pan-Africanist think-and-do tank—extends its heartfelt congratulations on your recent appointment as Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission. 

    “Your dedication and leadership within the African community are highly commendable, and we eagerly anticipate a period of meaningful progress and development under your guidance.

    “In 2016, Haiti, the world’s first free black republic, relying on Article 29 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, notified the then Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission of its intention to be admitted as a member of the Union. According to Article 29, admissions shall be decided by a simple majority of AU Member States.

    “However, the Commission, without relying on the presence or absence of a simple majority vote of AU Member States, announced that Haiti would not be admitted as an African Union Member State at the AU’s 2016 Summit because “only African countries can join the AU”.

    “This suggests that Haiti, the world’s first free black republic, is not an African country and therefore isn’t qualified.

    “We strongly disagree. Even if the AU Commission argued that Haiti is not geographically on the African Continent, under AU Law, it is legally in the African Continent and fully qualified. This is due to the provisions of Article 3(q) of the Protocol on the Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union.

    “This freeze of Haiti’s bid came despite the African connection of about 95% of Haitians whose ancestors were victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and therefore needed that admission after all they’ve been through.

    “If the then Chairperson of the AU Commission had transmitted Haiti’s notification, and it had been accepted by a simple majority of AU Member States, Haiti would also have been free to join the AU’s free trade area, the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA.

    “This would have boosted economic prospects of Haiti and other African countries. It would have expanded AfCFTA into the 6th Region. It would have given the Offokaja Foundation an opportunity to promote free trade between Haiti/African Diaspora and other African countries.

    “We urge the esteemed Chairperson of the AU Commission to emulate the General Secretariat of the Arab League which has judiciously adhered to Article 1 of the Charter of the League of Arab States. As a result, several esteemed North African States are bonafide Members of the Arab League, despite not being geographically situated in the Arabian Peninsula.

    “Furthermore, we highlight the EU territories of Ceuta and Melilla, which are part of the European Union despite not being geographically situated in Europe.

    “We also urge your Excellency to emulate the body politic of the United States of America: Although the US State of Hawaii is not geographically situated in the Continental United States, US citizens born in Hawaii are accorded their full rights as citizens. An example is the case of Barak Hussein Obama who became US President.

    “Furthermore Excellency, we highlight the case of the Lake Chad Basin Commission in which two States (Libya and the Central African Republic) are Members despite having no coastline in the lake: Central African Republic is a Member State because of its contributing river systems, while Libya’s Membership is tied to shared groundwater and regional strategic interests.

    “Excellency, remember that of the 13 Member States of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), which is the primary regional association focused on the Black Sea area, 7 don’t have a coastline on the Black Sea, but were nevertheless granted Membership due to historical, economic, or strategic ties to the area.

    “These precedents listed above demonstrate that geographical location should not be the sole criterion for Haiti’s membership.

    “Furthermore, Haiti, given the tragic way its African population was dislodged, and with the reparative provisions of Article 3(q), qualifies for African Union Membership.

    “In addition to Haiti, we encourage the African Union to invite and encourage the inclusion of other States in the African Diaspora as Member States. Brazil, which has the world’s second largest black population after Nigeria; Jamaica, which has preserved strong African traditions; Barbados which has a Commission for Pan -African Affairs, and other States in the Diaspora, should in the spirit and letter of Article 3(q) also be encouraged and invited to fully participate in the building of the African Union. The time for encouraging and inviting the Diaspora is today, not in some distant future.

    “We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Kenya for listening to our advocacy in September 2024 urging Kenya to champion the cause of Haiti joining the AU. Kenya’s efforts, led by its pan-Africanist President William Samoei Ruto, included raising a draft resolution for this purpose and advocating for Haiti’s inclusion in the framework of the African Union during his presidential speech at the 2025 AU Summit.

    “This support is a testament to Kenya’s commitment to Pan-Africanism, development birthed by a more inclusive African unity. We note that: this is the first time an African Union Member State is advocating that Haiti, be invited and encouraged to join the African Union.

    “And we express the hope that this movement by Kenya becomes the beginning of a wellspring of overwhelming support that would lead to membership of willing States of the African Diaspora/AU Sixth Region on a basis of equality with AU Member States from the other 5 Regions.

    “We urge you, Excellency, to etch your name into the annals of Pan-African history by swiftly transmitting copies of Haiti’s notification to all Member States for their consideration. Your tenure represents a unique opportunity to open a new chapter in Pan-Africanist history—let it be a chapter inscribed in the golden ink of inclusivity and full unity with the African Diaspora.

    “Such an action would be a noble, historic, and courageous decision, fully aligned with the AU Constitutive Act and reflective of the practices of other regional organizations worldwide.

    “We urge you, Excellency, being the grand statesman that you are, to do this. Excellency, be the reformist leader Africa needs in this age. Be a Great Pan Africanist Emancipator of this age and of history.

    “Excellency, we appeal to your vision and leadership. Be the reformist leader that Africa needs in this pivotal era. Be the Great Pan-African Emancipator of our age and ensure your legacy as one of the most transformative leaders in African history. 

    “Sincerely, 

    “Prince Charles Offokaja  

    “Director General  

    “Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation International”

  • (Updated)Offokaja Foundation Requests Kenya’s Support for Haiti’s Bid to Join The African Union

    (Updated)Offokaja Foundation Requests Kenya’s Support for Haiti’s Bid to Join The African Union

    Update: We are grateful to the Pan-Africanist Republic of Kenya and it’s listening, Pan-Africanist President, William Samoe Ruto for advocating for Haiti to be officially recognized by the AU as part of its 6th Region (all current AU Member States come from the AU’s five other regions). We are happy that following our advocacy in 2024, during the 2025 summit of the African Union Kenya’s State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed made this statement:

    President William Ruto proposes the adoption of a Draft Declaration on AU Solidarity with Haiti at the AU Assembly, to affirm its status as part of Africa’s Sixth Region…” Indeed, we watched President Ruto advocate for Haiti in his speech at the Summit, and Kenya’s draft resolution proposing this recognition was made available to us.

    In that Draft Declaration, Kenya noted that;

    “CONTEXT:

    1.The African Union Assembly vide its decision 884 of February, 2024 affirmed the deep-rooted Pan African origins of the African Union and those of its precursor, the Organisation of African Unity, encompassing historical, cultural and blood ties that bind the continent of Africa and the African Diaspora.

    2. Further More, the African Union Assembly adopted vide its decision 884 of February, 2024 the theme of the year for 2025 as “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations’’. In line with this theme the AUC has committed itself to pursue justice and reparation for acts perpetuated by colonial masters on African States and invariably on African Diaspora and People of African descent.

    3. The Member States of the African Union in adopting the Constitutive Act, affirmed, inter alia, their inspiration by the noble ideals which guided the founding fathers of our Continental Organization and generations of Pan-Africanists in their determination to promote unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation among the peoples of Africa and African States.

    4. The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union at its 32nd Ordinary Session in February, 2019 adopted a Declaration on the AU Recognition of the400th Anniversary of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Assembly/AU/Decl.2(XXXII). In the Declaration, the Assembly, inter alia:

    i. Reaffirmed our commitment to the Unity of African People, to building an integrated Africa, to forging cultural, political, social and economic linkages that further the Pan Africanist dream among all peoples of African descent;

    ii. Urged all Member States of the Union to consider immigration, economic,cultural and social policies that allow the Africans descended from the victims and survivors of the transatlantic Slave Trade to reconnect and reengage with their brethren in the African Continent;

    5. Agenda 2063 has been adopted by Member Sates of the African Union as Africa’sblueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future.Aspiration number two (2) of Agenda 2063 speaks to ‘‘An integrated continent, politicallyunited, based on the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance’’.Africa commits to have dynamic and mutually beneficial links with her Diaspora.

    This advocacy by Kenya is significant because it’s the first time an African Union Member State is specifically advocating for the closer integration of Haiti into the African Union at an AU Assembly since the unfortunate freezing of Haiti’s bid in 2016. And it serves as a beacon of hope to other countries of the African Diaspora/6th Region of the African Continent who might wish to join the AU in future.

    And so, we express the hope that this movement by Kenya becomes the beginning of a wellspring of overwhelming support that would lead to membership of willing States of the African Diaspora/AU Sixth Region on a basis of equality with AU Member States from the other 5 Regions.

    The Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation International on the 5th of September, 2024, the Pan Africanist think-and-do tank, wrote to Kenya’s President, William Samoe Ruto, urging that Kenya advocates support for Haiti’s (currently stalled) 2016 bid to join the African Union (AU) at the African Union Assembly.

    “We are confident of your interest in helping out Haiti, the first free Black Republic, and a Brother country to your country in its time of great need. And we implore you not to hesitate from this noble action that would make Mother Africa proud, even if at first, you stand alone.

    The letter reads, “Dear President William Samoei Ruto CGH,

    “We hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits. I am writing to you on behalf of the Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation, an organization committed to the Membership of willing States of the African Diaspora in the African Union, AU.

    “We are deeply concerned about the refusal of the African Union (AU) Commission to transmit Haiti’s 2016 application to join the AU. We are disturbed about the socioeconomic and sociocultural impact it is having on Haitians, and citizens of AU Member States.

    “This refusal has prevented the potential expansion of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA to include willing States in the African Diaspora.

    “Furthermore, it has sent a wrong message to Afro Americans of the African Diaspora (who are descended from victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade). A message that they are not deemed worthy of being allowed to fully participate in the building of the African Union. This refusal has limited African unity. And as you know, Excellency, unity has many benefits for the united.

    “Your Excellency, in 2016, the Republic of Haiti applied for membership of the African Union. This is in line with Article 29 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, which states that ‘Any African State may, at any time after the entry into force of this Act, notify the Chairman of the Commission of its intention to accede to this Act and to be admitted as a member of the Union.’

    “The Article further provides that, ‘The Chairman of the Commission shall, upon receipt of such notification, transmit copies thereof to all Member States.’

    “It concludes by stating that ‘Admission shall be decided by a simple majority of the Member States. The decision of each Member State shall be transmitted to the Chairman of the Commission who shall, upon receipt of the required number of votes, communicate the decision to the State concerned.’

    “In this case, all Haiti got from the AU Commission was a message that suggests it’s not African, rather than the results of a vote of Member States.

    “Haiti is an African State by demography, as 95% of it’s population is African. It is also legally a part of the African Continent in line with Article 3(q) of the Protocol On Amendments To The Constitutive Act Of The African Union.

    “That Article provides that the objectives of the African Union shall be to: ‘Invite and encourage the Full participation of the African Diaspora as an important part of our Continent, in the building of the African Union.’

    “Excellency, Article 3 (q) of the Protocol is similar to Article 1 of the Charter of the Arab League which states that, “Any independent Arab state has the right to become a member of the League. If it desires to do so, it shall submit a request which will be deposited with the Permanent Secretariat General and submitted to the Council at the first meeting held after submission of the request.”

    “As provided by Article 1, the esteemed Arab League is composed not only of Arab States of the Arabian Peninsula, but also of Arab States of North Africa such as Libya, Morocco, and other esteemed States. That has enhanced Arab unity.
    That’s the same way Article 29 and Article 3 (q) of the Protocol provides for African States of the African Diaspora to become Member States of the African Union.

    “Excellency, Article 9(c) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union expressly vests the consideration of requests for Membership of the Union on the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, not on the Commission.
    In this case, the AU Commission refused to transmit Haiti’s notification to Member States contrary to Article 29 of the AU Constitutive Act.

    “In light of the above, we urge Kenya to intervene in line with Article 9(e) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, which provides that the Assembly of the Union shall have the power to “monitor the implementation of policies and decisions of the Union as well as ensure compliance by all Member States”.

    “We believe that Kenya, which believes in helping its Brother African States, being a Member State of the Assembly of State Parties has a significant role to play in addressing this issue. Mr. President, you are a Pan Africanist.

    “We note your keen interest in the building of the African Union, as evident in your endorsement of the candidacy of Raila Odinga a renowned statesman, for the Chairmanship of the AU Commission. This is among other notable policies of yours.

    “We are confident of your interest in helping out Haiti, the first free Black Republic, and a Brother country to your country in its time of great need. And we implore you not to hesitate from this noble action that would make Mother Africa proud, even if at first, you stand alone.

    “We respectfully urge Kenya to help by bringing up the issue of Haiti’s (currently stalled) membership application for due consideration by the State Parties of the AU, relying on: Article 9(e) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, and crucially citing Article 3(q) of the Protocol on Amendments To The Constitutive Act of the African Union; Articles 9(c), and 29 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, and Articles 22(1) and 22(2) of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.

    “We urge you, Excellency, to implore the outgoing Chairman of the AU Commission to transmit Haiti’s notification.

    “Alternatively, we urge Your Excellency to impress upon the candidates for the AU Commission Chairmanship of the need for urgent transmission of Haiti’s notification in the eventuality that the outgoing Chairman doesn’t do so.

    “It is our conviction that such measures are not only in the best interest of the Haitian African People but also align with the Pan-Africanist values and commitments of Kenya.

    “We appreciate your attention to this important matter and look forward to your response.

    “Thank you Mr. President, for your Pan-Africanist consideration.

    Sincerely,
    Prince Charles Offokaja,
    Director General,
    Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation

  • Open Letter to H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairman of the African Union Commission #Justice4Haiti

    Open Letter to H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairman of the African Union Commission #Justice4Haiti

    Dear Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat,

    We, respectfully request that you send Haiti’s 2016 notification for membership in the African Union (AU) to all AU Member States for their review and decision.

    Haiti, known as the world’s first free black republic, informed the AU of its intention to join the Union in 2016, based on Article 29 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union. According to this article, admission should be determined by a simple majority vote among AU Member States. However, the AU Commission decided not to admit Haiti, citing that “only African countries can join the AU,” implying that Haiti is not considered an African country.

    We contest this decision. While Haiti is not geographically on the African continent, AU law recognizes it as legally part of the African Continent. This is supported by Article 3(q) of the Protocol on the Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union. Furthermore, approximately 95% of Haitians are descendants of Africans who were enslaved and forcibly brought to the Caribbean, creating a substantial historical and cultural connection.

    Had Haiti’s membership notification been forwarded and accepted by a simple majority, Haiti would have had the opportunity to join the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), benefiting both its development and Africa’s economic integration.

    We urge you to follow the example set by the General Secretariat of the Arab League, which has not allowed geography to limit its adherence to Article 1 of the Charter of the League of Arab States. This has allowed several North African countries to be full members of the Arab League despite not being part of the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, the United States provides a relevant example: despite not being part of the continental U.S., Hawaii enjoys full rights as a state, as proven by Barack Obama’s presidency.

    Excellency, we earnestly implore you to transmit Haiti’s membership notification to all AU Member States for their decision. Doing so will reaffirm the AU’s commitment to justice, equality, and international solidarity.

    Sincerely,

    The Prince & Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation
    Supporters of #JusticeForHaiti