Zambian journalist and digital content creator Lillian Chipeso has called for greater African unity and cooperation, urging countries on the continent to prioritise empowering one another through stronger trade, tourism, and bilateral relations.

Speaking in an interview on Prime Morning, Chipeso reiterated her belief that Africa should function as a more integrated and “borderless” continent, arguing that Africans share far more similarities than differences.

“We should be working towards empowering each other, strengthening our bilateral relations and working together and ensuring that we minimise…look at Ghana, you are spending millions in importing chicken from another part of the world when you can do the same business with countries like Zambia. Conversations like these bring light to such opportunities like these and business opportunities in terms of trade, tourism, and how we can venture together and all that.”

She explained that her experience in Ghana made her feel at home, stressing that cultural and social similarities across African countries reinforce the idea of a shared identity.

“I think Africa continent should be borderless, we are one people, I came here, and I told you that I don’t feel as though I am away from home. We eat the same food, it’s only that you guys here you mix your chicken, fish and everything with vegetables. But for us, we separate them, but that doesn’t mean we are different people, we are one people,” she said.

Chipeso argued that such similarities should form the basis for deeper economic collaboration rather than separation, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, where many African countries continue to rely heavily on imports from outside the continent.

She cited Ghana’s expenditure on imported chicken as an example, suggesting that increased intra-African trade could help reduce import costs while strengthening local economies across countries such as Zambia and Ghana.

Chipeso further emphasised that conversations around trade and cultural exchange are essential in identifying opportunities for cooperation in areas such as agriculture, tourism, and business development.