News:
June 8, 2026
African legislatures need to stand together to defend the continent’s family values, constitutional sovereignty, and cultural identity — pushing back against external pressure disguised as development aid.
That was the powerful message from Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, during his keynote address at the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values in Accra. The theme: Preserving Africa’s Identity in a Globalised World.
“The family is where true sovereignty begins”
Bagbin opened with the Akan proverb, “Obra ye bɔ bɔ mu na ɛyɛ dɛ” (life is a combination of different pieces), and made a case for the family as the foundation of African society.
“In the African worldview, the individual does not exist in isolation. We find our meaning, protection, and purpose within the sacred framework of the family.”
He added: “True sovereignty does not begin at our national borders or within legislative chambers. It is born, nurtured, and sustained in the smallest unit of governance on Earth — the African family. If the family breaks under economic distress or cultural alienation, the state itself loses its structural integrity.”
Pushback against ‘alien’ legal models
Citing Article 39 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, Bagbin reminded attendees that African states are already mandated to preserve traditional cultural values — even while balancing modern development and human rights.
He warned against the growing trend of tying aid, trade, and resource agreements to the adoption of legal and cultural models that don’t fit Africa’s social fabric.
“Our laws must look like the people they are written to protect. A law that does not resonate with the spirit, history, and moral conscience of the citizenry is a dead law.”
The African family as a safety net
Bagbin described the African family as an intergenerational system of mutual responsibility — the continent’s strongest social safety net. But he noted that economic pressures, education challenges, and digital exposure are weakening family structures.
“To protect the African family is to protect our primary economic engine, our first school of civic virtue, and our oldest institution of social security.”
However, he stressed that defending cultural values must never justify human rights violations. He pointed to Article 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which places the family at the center of rights protections, and urged lawmakers to strengthen safeguards against domestic violence, harmful practices, child labor, and exploitation.
A call for continental action
Bagbin called for coordinated efforts through bodies like:
* The Pan-African Parliament
* ECOWAS Parliament
* East African Legislative Assembly (EALA)
* SADC Parliamentary Forum
He also proposed the creation of an “African Family Values Charter” to harmonize legal approaches across the continent and prevent external actors from exploiting regulatory differences.
“Let us reject the false premise that modernization requires the erasure of our cultural identity. We can build advanced technological economies and participate at the highest levels of global finance while remaining profoundly African.”
The conference also paid tribute to Uganda for hosting previous editions and for its leadership in advancing discussions on family, sovereignty, and cultural preservation within Africa’s legislative frameworks.
Ghanamps.com