The practise of African nations kowtowing to the United States, China, and Western nations for aid before appears to be changing in favour of partnerships rather than going cap in hand begging for aid.
This was made clear at the just-concluded Russia-Africa Economic Summit 2023, where numerous African nations inked partnership agreements with the Russian government and a number of major firms.
The emphasis on partnerships over aid during the Russia-Africa Economic Summit in 2023 in St. Petersburg, Russia, was highlighted by the host nation’s view of African nations as development partners.
The summit’s panel discussions did, in fact, ring with the terms cooperation and partnership.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, said the summit included “a substantive and engaging exchange of views on the full range of themes of strategic cooperation between Russia and African countries.”
“We have established measures to deepen coordination of foreign policy, boost trade and investment, and foster industrial cooperation between Russia and the nations of the African continent. We have also identified the key areas for future collaborative action.
“I am convinced that our accomplishments will lay a solid foundation for the further development of the Russian-African partnership in the interests of the prosperity and welfare of our peoples.”
The participants vowed to work together to create a new, more equitable multipolar architecture for the international system, one that is founded on the sovereign equality of all states and reciprocal assistance.
In a panel discussion with the aptly named title “From Aid to Partnership: Working Together to Fight Epidemics,” Ms. Anna Popova, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, remarked that Russia and Africa have effectively collaborated in epidemic prevention as a sign of the shift.
According to Popova, “cooperation between Russia and Africa is capable of evolving from assistance to partnership between countries, which will aid the continent in gaining sovereignty in the area of biological security, enhancing its own potential, and removing barriers to economic development brought on by infections.
The session’s main topics were how to make sure that African nations are not dependent on outside help for biosecurity as well as potential transitions from importing anti-epidemic technologies to their own development.
The relationship would serve to boost cooperation in epidemic management, develop human capacity, and ensure technological transfer, Ms. Jane Ruth Aceng, Minister of Health for the Republic of Uganda, stressed.
The conference opened many African leaders’ eyes to new methods for fighting epidemics and best practises for building infrastructure.
For instance, Mr. Nikita Stasishin, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing, and Utilities, claimed that African nations may learn from the success of Russia’s construction industry.
He drew attention, in particular, to the fact that “today Russian developers compete not with the cost per square metre, but with the quality of the project.”
This implies, among other things, that a comfortable environment will be created while the area is being developed in an integrated manner.
According to Stasishin, an infrastructure menu was introduced on the President’s orders. This enormous sum of money is used to update the nation’s social, transportation, and engineering infrastructure.
He also stressed the importance of using a scientific method when developing new areas, saying, “We have built up a tremendous scientific base with technical solutions for the growth of both agglomerations of million-strong cities and single-industry and tiny towns.
“This is something we could impart to nations in Africa.”
The fact that Mr. Tafadzwa Muguti, the secretary to the Zimbabwean president’s administration for provincial affairs and devolution for the Harare Metropolitan Province, spoke about the potential for collaboration with Russia in developing the nation’s transport sector suggested that many African leaders present at the summit paid attention to the advice.
“”Intensifying collaboration connections with the Russian Federation is one of the prospects for improving transport infrastructure.
We may design new masterplans for the growth of municipalities by working with Russian cities, she said.
As its Vice President, Kashim Shettima, engaged stakeholders during the summit to revive the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, Nigeria is not excluded from the new wave of partnerships with Russia to develop essential infrastructure.
“It will benefit everyone if we can restart this factory as soon as possible. The Nigerian people deserve better, and we must act accordingly, Shettima stated in a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Aluminium Company, UC RUSAL, and other stakeholders on the eve of the Summit.
The meeting served to advance the Federal Government’s initiatives to restart production lines at ALSCON by re-engaging UC RUSAL and other partners.
Following UC RUSAL management’s presentation, Shettima spoke on the aluminium company’s huge contributions to the economy in terms of the transition to a cleaner energy source, the creation of jobs, and its influence on the growth of small enterprises.
The Russia-Africa Summit is also being used by Ghana to improve its transit system.
At the summit, Mr. Desmond Boateng, Chief Director, Ministry of Railways Development of the Republic of Ghana, said that the nation has started a 4,000 km railway project to link West African nations.
“We are prepared to engage in negotiations with the Russian private sector to determine the most efficient means of establishing a productive framework for mutually beneficial cooperation within the confines of this substantial project.
The railway would connect Burkina Faso, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, and other African nations when all of its lines are complete, according to Boateng. Currently, 250 kilometres of those lines have been built.
Several Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) and agreements for cooperation were signed by various African nations at the Russia-Africa summit as an indication of their commitment.
The Russian Export Centre (REC) and the Agency for Promotion of Investment and Exports of Mozambique (APIEX) inked a memorandum as part of the business programme for the Forum.
According to the agreements, the parties will arrange trade missions and educational gatherings aimed at promoting economic growth and bolstering collaboration between the two nations.
“The pact represents a significant advancement in the growth of commercial connections between Russia and Mozambique.
Through this collaboration, businesses from both countries will be able to successfully enter each other’s markets and strengthen their respective positions.
According to Nikita Gusakov, senior vice president of the REC, “it is also planned to exchange information on major projects in order to attract companies.”
The exchange of analytical materials on top cooperation sectors, he said, would receive special emphasis.
The parties will be able to stay current on trends and developments in important economic sectors thanks to this.
As a result, this partnership will encourage the emergence of fresh potential for Russian exports.
As evidence of the complementarity of exports and imports between the two countries, there is currently a balance in the volume of foreign commerce between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Mozambique.
According to him, Russia continues to be a significant provider of agricultural and chemical products to the Mozambican market, while Mozambique is one of the countries that supplies rare earth metals and tobacco products to the Russian market.
With Multi-Services EtMateriel Industriel (MSMI) SARL (Cameroon), a pact was also inked.
The main goal of the agreement is to jointly promote Russian industrial equipment in the markets of Central Africa, particularly in Cameroon.
It is expected that REC and MSMI will actively communicate information regarding significant government initiatives and provide assistance to Russian businesses looking to enter the Cameroon market.
A great opportunity for Russian businesses to compete with other international players in this region is provided by Cameroon’s current strong industrial growth and the implementation of important infrastructure projects.
“With a variety of investment options, Cameroon has one of the strongest economies in Central Africa. 19.6 million dollars’ worth of exports to Cameroon were sponsored by REC Group last year.
Russian enterprises will be able to increase their presence in this potential market and solidify their positions thanks to the combined efforts of the REC and MSMI, according to Dmitry Prokhorenko, Director for Development of the REC’s Foreign Network.
Russia’s supply of mineral fertiliser to Africa seem to be accelerating due to REC’s apparent rampage.
Nikita Gusakov, Senior Vice-President of REC, who presented at the session on “Stabilising the Fertiliser Market to Eradicate Hunger in African Countries,” is facilitating this growth.
Gusakov spoke briefly about the growing trade between Russia and Africa, the necessity of making payments to counterparties in Africa in currencies other than the dollar or the euro, and the necessity of connecting to alternate routes of communication between financial institutions.
He said that some transactions had already been conducted in yuan and that, in the short to medium term, the ruble might also be a possibility.
He said that the initial contracts had already been made in Russian rubles.
He asserts that building financial infrastructure and increasing the proportion of commodities imported from Africa will be vital to integrate local currencies in a more systematic manner.
The number of financial transactions made in a third party’s currency will progressively decline as a result, according to him, allowing for more to be done in the country’s currency in the future.
The capital businesses gained from exports to Africa could be invested on the continent, he continued, which would help offset the trade gap.
If they act on it, the Second Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, hosted by Roscongress Foundation, was a game changer for several African nations.
