Africa In Search Of Beneficial Partnerships

The world is changing and the global interest of nations too. As a consequence, countries keep looking for strategic partnerships to be able to meet their growing needs, some of which are either imposed by the so-called modernisation train or a constant demographic growth. African countries in the face of such realities, like every nation, have to source for opportunities to cope with the consequences of economic shocks and geopolitical strategic positioning by global actors. With an ever increasing number of youth in search of jobs and many of them dying in the high seas as they struggle to look for greener pastures, it is imperative that leaders of various African countries should be able to take bolder initiatives and ensure the wellbeing of their populations. 
Having offered much to the world from the time of slavery, to colonialism and neo-colonialism, the continent has for centuries been viewed as a milking cow that must only exist if certain powers allow Africa to function. That is why with over a billion inhabitants, Africa is unable to have a deciding vote at the United Nations Organisation, for example. The continent is presented as the poorest in spite of its rich subsoil and topsoil which for centuries continue to serve as raw material to power industries in other continents.     
With the recent narrative that presents Africa as a continent for the future in terms of its youthful population, cheap labour, well-educated population and so on, there has been a shift in attraction and interests. Of late, many have heard of the Africa-America Summit, Africa-Tokyo Conference, Africa-China Forum, Europe-Africa Forum, and so on. The finality being to woo African leaders to work with certain partners for specific gains. But it would appear each of the African partners would have loved to keep the continent for itself. It therefore means, Africans themselves and their leaders need to be sufficiently courageous to pursue their goals no matter how bullish other partners could become.        
Coming out of the global economic hardship caused by the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, the war between Russia and Ukraine imposed disturbing inflation caused by scarcity in cereal that was mostly imported from Russia and Ukraine. That has definitely opened the eyes of most African leaders about the need to ensure that their economies are self-sufficient in food supply, at least to meet internal demands.  But, that in no way means Africa must be isolated from outside partners. Economic isolationism and protectionist tendencies have often not been the best options for countries that are in need of development.        
Understandably, the discourse over the participation of some African countries in St Petersburg for the Second Russia-Africa Summit from 27-28 July, 2023 has been ambivalent. Given the current context of war between Russia and Ukraine, those who backed Ukraine would have envisaged an outright boycott of the summit by African leaders. Looking at the galloping inflation that surfaced just after the Covid-19, it would be naïve for any country to wait for dictates from abroad when their people are crying for survival. If Africa must make friends, it should be on the basis of how such friendship can help the continent meet up with growing hurdles of developme...