Author: user user

Most Africans want tighter controls on immigration, with about two-thirds of them saying their governments should admit fewer or no foreign job seekers and refugees.

The finding is contained in a new Afrobarometer report based on nearly 51,000 interviews across 38 African countries conducted in 2024/25.

It comes amid renewed anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa, particularly towards undocumented foreign nationals, which have, at times, turned violent and strained Pretoria’s diplomatic relations with other African countries, including Ghana and Nigeria.

According to the report, ‘The clearest exception is lived poverty. Those experiencing high lived poverty are more likely to hold negative views than well-off respondents, suggesting that insecurity may be more closely associated with negative perceptions of immigrants’ economic impact than other demographic characteristics.’

Mixed views on immigrants’ economic role

Based on the report, 45 percent of Africans believe immigrants make a positive contribution to their economies, while 44 percent believe they have a negative economic impact. This is a reflection of a broader rise in anti-migrant sentiment globally, as economic insecurity and migration pressures increasingly shape public attitudes towards foreign nationals, particularly as countries across the continent grapple with unemployment, poverty and pressure on public resources.

About 64 percent of respondents said their governments should reduce the number of foreign job seekers admitted into their countries or allow none at all, while 70 percent expressed a similar preference regarding refugees. Only 15 percent favoured admitting more foreign job seekers.

At the same time, 87 percent said they would welcome or accept living next door to someone of a different ethnicity, while 84 percent said the same about someone of a different religion. The corresponding figures were 81 percent for people supporting a different political party and 77 percent for people of a different nationality.

Tolerance towards refugees was lower, at 69 percent.

South Africa records sharp divide

South Africa recorded some of the continent’s strongest negative perceptions of the economic impact of immigrants. Only 17 percent of South African respondents said foreign nationals make a positive contribution to the economy, compared with 69 percent in Ivory Coast, 68 percent in São Tomé and Príncipe, 65 percent in Cabo Verde and 64 percent in Benin.

Regional differences were also pronounced. West Africa was the only region where a majority of respondents, 55 percent, said immigrants were good for their country’s economy. The figure was 47 percent in East Africa, 39 percent in Southern Africa, 36 percent in Central Africa and 23 percent in North Africa.

Afrobarometer said demographic characteristics such as gender, age, education, employment status and urban or rural residence made little difference to perceptions of immigrants’ economic impact.

Migrants’ economic contribution

The perception of immigrants as an economic burden contrasts with evidence of their contribution to host economies.

Earlier this year, a migration statistics report showed that South Africa’s migrant population generated household income of R433 billion in the 2022/23 financial year, largely through salaries.

Non-migrant households recorded a total income of R2.486 trillion during the same period.

Afrobarometer also found that tolerance towards immigrants, people of different ethnicities and religions, supporters of different political parties and homosexuals had declined by between two and three percentage points since 2021/23, reaching their lowest levels of the past decade.

Following the news of his passing on September 16, 2026, at the age of 84, public appreciation has poured in for Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs-famously known as Olu Jacobs. Much of that reverence centers on a towering career spanning more than five decades, bridging the worlds of British theater, classic international cinema, and the historic rise of Nollywood.

Jacobs was far more than a comforting fixture in African cinema; he was an indelible force across generations, borders, and genres. His screen presence anchored characters that ranged from stern customs officers and village elders to tyrannical monarchs, cunning corporate magnates, and everyday men navigating complex social realities. With over 200 screen credits to his name, these 10 pivotal films offer distinct entry points into the career of an actor whose sheer weight elevated every frame he occupied.

1. Ashanti (1979)

Long before Nollywood established itself as a global powerhouse, Jacobs was already carving out a place in international cinema. In Ashanti, a 1979 globe-trotting adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer, Jacobs portrayed Commissioner Batak alongside screen icons Michael Caine and Peter Ustinov. The role remains an essential marker of his early global trajectory, serving as a reminder that his journey began decades before he became a household name across Africa.

A year later, Jacobs appeared in John Irvin’s film adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s mercenary thriller, The Dogs of War. Playing a sharp-eyed Customs Officer opposite Christopher Walken in a fictionalized African nation, Jacobs continued his run in high-profile foreign productions. This early success highlighted the international exposure he secured before returning home to help build Nigeria’s burgeoning film ecosystem.

3. Pirates (1986)

Jacobs’ international run continued with Roman Polanski’s swashbuckling comedy-adventure Pirates, starring Walter Matthau. Cast as Boomako, Jacobs added another major international title to a resume that already featured extensive work in British theater and television. His appearances in Ashanti, The Dogs of War, and Pirates now serve as a captivating prologue to a career that would ultimately define modern West African cinema.

4. Vigilante (1988)

If foreign productions established his international reach, Vigilante anchored Jacobs in a raw, authentically Nigerian narrative. Directed by Adedeji Adesanya, the 1988 crime drama cast Jacobs as Chief T. Egunjobi, leading a community driven to self-defense in the wake of rampant armed robbery and systemic security failures. Preserved within Indiana University’s Black Film Center and Archive, the film stands as a historic bridge between early celluloid Nigerian filmmaking and the video era that followed.

5. The Kingmaker (2002)

The Kingmaker showcased another dimension of Jacobs’ artistic legacy: his role as an industry builder. Produced by Lufodo Productions-the media company he co-founded with his wife, Joke Silva-and directed by Fred Amata, the film tackled political godfatherism. As Silva later reflected, the story explored the dark dynamics of political puppetry where private interests override the public good. The project underscored Jacobs’ commitment to producing sharp, socially conscious Nigerian stories.

Oloibiri placed Jacobs at the center of one of Nigeria’s most complex socio-economic tragedies: the environmental degradation of the Niger Delta. Playing Timipre alongside Richard Mofe-Damijo, Jacobs explored the bitter contrast between resource wealth and community exploitation. The role stands as a testament to his willingness to participate in cinema that challenged audiences to reflect on national accountability.

10. The Royal Hibiscus Hotel (2017)

In one of his most charming late-career appearances, Jacobs starred as Richard alongside Joke Silva in The Royal Hibiscus Hotel. Directed by Ishaya Bako, the romantic comedy follows a chef who returns home to find her family’s boutique hotel in turmoil. Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the film gave Jacobs another global platform, demonstrating his graceful transition into contemporary, feel-good Nigerian cinema.

Jacobs’ career seamlessly mirrored the evolution of African cinema itself-moving fluidly from international sets in the 1970s and 80s to becoming the beating heart of Nollywood across historical epics, socio-political thrillers, and family dramas. Re-examining his filmography today is far more than an exercise in nostalgia; it is a masterclass in how one actor helped shape, elevate, and legitimize the narrative of African screen storytelling.