A prominent Pan-African advocate and cultural diplomat, Amb. Dr. Jamezany James, has strongly condemned what he described as “dangerous and divisive anti-Nigerian rhetoric” circulating on social media, insisting that Africa must reject tribal hostility and focus on unity, development, and continental progress.
Nigeria’s Dr.Jamezany James with South Africa’s Filmmakers Nomi Black Queen and Peega Lehlohonolo
In an open letter released on Thursday, the Nigerian-born ECOWAS West African Youth Ambassador and UN Peace Ambassador reacted to allegations that attempted to portray Nigerians collectively as criminals, warning against generalizing an entire nation based on the actions of a few individuals.
“You want to paint 220 million Nigerians with the brush of a few criminals? Crime does not carry a passport; it carries character,” Jamezany stated.
The outspoken Pan-Africanist emphasized that criminality exists globally and should never be used to define an entire people or nation.
According to him, Africans must avoid internal hostility that weakens continental solidarity while foreign powers continue to dominate Africa economically and politically.
Nigeria’s Filmmaker Dr.Jamezany James with South Africa’s Filmmaker and Journalist Hazel Friedman
Addressing the Whatsapp post of a Cameroonian about Nigerians, which a South African tries to amplify in defense of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa,the ambassador highlighted Nigeria’s role in accommodating thousands of Cameroonian refugees displaced by unrest in parts of Cameroon.
He also pointed to the economic and entertainment ties between both countries, particularly the contributions of Nigeria’s film industry to regional collaboration across Africa.
Jamezany, a key stakeholder in the African film sector and head of the Azania Filmmakers Association (Pan Africa), noted that he has worked closely with Cameroonian creatives through Azania Filmmakers Association through which he has used to contribute hugely to integrate the African film industry that lot of Cameroonian filmmakers and even South African filmmakers leveraged on.also been a special guest at film platforms such as CAMIFF in Buea and Ecran Noirs in Yaoundé.
He further dismissed unverified allegations linking Nigerians in the United Arab Emirates to violent criminal activities, demanding concrete evidence rather than “social media gossip.”
Some Cameroonian and African Filmmakers from Azania Filmmakers Association AFA (Pan Africa) led by Dr.Jamezany James meet up somewhere in Cameroon.
“Bring police reports, court convictions, and names, not emojis and online propaganda,” he declared.
Throughout the statement, the ambassador repeatedly stressed the need for Pan-African unity, warning that divisive narratives only serve external interests while Africa continues to battle poverty, underdevelopment, and economic exploitation.
“While Africans fight each other online, foreign nations are signing trade deals, controlling narratives, and taking advantage of our divisions,” he said.
In what he termed the “Azania Principle,” Jamezany called on Africans to prioritize healing, cooperation, and development over online hostility and nationalist attacks.
“We are not here to destroy each other. We are here to build each other. Nigeria is not perfect, Cameroon is not perfect, Africa is not perfect — but we are one,” the statement concluded.
The letter has since sparked conversations across social media platforms, with supporters praising the ambassador’s defense of African unity while others debated the broader issues of nationalism, migration, and regional cooperation within the continent.
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