By Tunde Moshood
There is an old African proverb that says, “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” Yet, among Africans living in the diaspora, especially in Europe, the greatest battles are not always against racism or systemic bias from their host communities, but often against themselves.
At a time when sections of Irish society are singing the bitter tune of hatred, asking Africans to “go back home,” the least expected would be to see Africans themselves fueling strife, backbiting, and rivalry among kinsmen. Unfortunately, this is the reality that has played out in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, where a storm of contention is brewing within the African community over ownership of a long-standing cultural project.
THE BREWING STORM
At the heart of the controversy is Dr. Dineo Moiloa-Murphy, a South African who prides herself as a Specialist Emergency Physician at Letterkenny University Hospital. Rather than thinking out of the box to birth her own legacy, Dr. Dineo has chosen to lay claim to an already established project—Miss Africa Ireland—a pageant that has been the intellectual and cultural brainchild of an Irish investment banker and event impresario, Tina Tinuke Akinola, for over 25 years.
Tina Tinuke, a serial entrepreneur of repute, has not only crowned the Miss Africa Ireland annually for more than two decades, but has also successfully hosted Mrs. Nigeria Ireland in 2008 with Mrs. D. Oluwayose being its maiden queen. Her portfolio of contributions extends to the famed Ankara Carnival Ireland, a signature celebration of African culture in Dublin. Simply put, Tina Tinuke’s investments in the African cultural landscape of Ireland are visible to both friend and foe.
Yet today, that legacy is being dragged into needless contention. Dr. Dineo, despite being informed of the historical ownership and continuity of the Miss Africa Ireland franchise, insists on introducing what she calls the “inaugural Irish edition” of Miss/Mrs. Africa Ireland. But what is inaugural about a project that has existed and thrived for a quarter of a century? Even the deaf and mute in Dublin know that Miss Africa Ireland is no stranger to the city’s cultural calendar.
WHATS IN A NAME
What’s in a name? Some may argue. But in branding, in culture, and in legacy, everything is in a name. To attempt to hijack the identity of an existing project is not only an act of intellectual dishonesty, but also a seed of discord that pits Africans against each other in a land where their very survival depends on unity. If the project had been founded by an Irish national, would Dr. Dineo have had the audacity to override it with such ease?
This is not merely a battle of pageants; it is a reflection of a deeper malaise within the African diaspora—the inability to cooperate, to respect each other’s sweat, and to build together in solidarity. Rivalries such as these do not only tarnish the image of Africans abroad, they hand anti-immigrant protesters more ammunition to mock and diminish the African presence. What pride is there in two African women dragging a single project in a foreign land, when both could be celebrated for innovating unique platforms that showcase Africa’s brilliance?
COMMUNITY SUPPORT SYSTEM
In times like these, community support among Africans in the diaspora should be paramount. The African proverb rings again: “If the child does not feel the warmth of the village, he will burn it down to feel its heat.” Dr. Dineo does not need to burn down Tina Tinuke’s village to feel relevant; she can build her own.
History has shown that minority groups survive in hostile societies not by internal rivalry but by solidarity. The Irish themselves, who once faced discrimination in America, survived by clinging to their unity and building institutions that empowered their communities. Africans in Ireland must learn the same lesson: only unity can curb the sting of racism, not division.
The challenge, therefore, is clear. Africans in Ireland—and indeed across the diaspora—must rise above envy, greed, and the spirit of encroachment. Respect for each other’s sweat and creativity should not be negotiable. Tina Tinuke’s Miss Africa Ireland is not just a pageant; it is a legacy, a cultural institution, and a testament to resilience. For another African to attempt to snatch it undermines not just Tina Tinuke’s work, but the credibility of Africans as a people.
The way forward is not rivalry, not strife but solidarity. At a time when the voices of hate outside are already loud, Africans cannot afford to amplify them from within.
Tunde Moshood Jr is a bilingual international journalist, PR expert and public commentator
