African leaders are intensifying calls for the United Kingdom to provide reparations for crimes committed during the colonial era, signalling a coordinated continental push for historical accountability.
The discussions gained momentum at a high-level conference in Algiers, where policymakers from across Africa mapped out legal and diplomatic strategies aimed at securing compensation from former colonial powers, with Britain at the centre of focus. Participants emphasised the need for colonial-era abuses to be formally recognised, criminalised, and addressed through reparative justice.
The initiative follows a resolution adopted earlier this year by the African Union (AU), which advocates justice and compensation for victims of colonialism across the continent. At the AU’s February summit, leaders proposed classifying colonisation as a crime against humanity and developing a unified position to pursue reparations.
Nigeria has emerged as one of the leading voices in the campaign. In September, Senator Ned Nwoko formally submitted a claim to the British government, demanding $5.5 trillion in reparations for the economic, social, and cultural damage inflicted on Nigeria during British rule.
Britain, however, has consistently dismissed such claims, describing demands for reparations as “astonishingly hypocritical” and stressing that the UK prefers to focus on present-day partnerships with African nations rather than assuming legal responsibility for historical actions.
