International

Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress and a Successful Future

Published

1 year ago

July 25, 2023

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress and a Successful Future

By: Vladimir Putin

On July 27-28 , St Petersburg will host the second Russia-Africa Summit and
Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

On the eve of these large-scale representative events which will bring together heads of state and government, entrepreneurs, academia and public figures, I would like to share my vision of the development of Russia-Africa relations with the readers of the leading media on the African continent, outlining priority cooperation areas for the coming decades of the 21st century.The partnership relations between our country and Africa have strong, deep roots and have always been distinguished by stability, trust and goodwill. We have consistently supported African peoples in their struggle for liberation from colonial oppression. We have provided assistance in developing statehood, strengthening their sovereignty and defence capability. Much has been done to create sustainable foundations for national economies.

By the mid-1980s, with the participation of our specialists, over 330 large infrastructure and industrial facilities have been built in Africa, such as power plants, irrigation systems, industrial and agricultural enterprises, which are successfully operating to this day, and continue to make a significant contribution to the continent’s economic development. Tens of thousands of African doctors, technical specialists, engineers, officers and teachers have received education in Russia.I would like to specifically mention the traditionally close cooperation on the world stage, the firm and consistent advocacy rendered by the USSR and then Russia to African countries at international fora. We have always strictly adhered to the “African solutions to African problems” principle, standing in solidarity with Africans in their struggle for self-determination, justice and their legitimate rights. We have never tried to impose on partners our own ideas about the internal structure, forms and methods of management, development goals and ways to achieve them. Unchanged remains our respect for the sovereignty of African states, their traditions and values, their desire to independently determine their own destiny and freely build relationships with partners.We highly value the honestly-gained capital of friendship and cooperation, traditions of trust and mutual support that Russia and African countries share. We are brought together by a common desire to shape a system of relations based on the priority of international law, respect for national interests, indivisibility of security, and recognition of the central coordinating role of the United Nations.

Today, the constructive, trustful, forward-looking partnership between Russia and Africa is especially significant and important. Major centres of economic and political power and influence are emerging in the world, which are asserting themselves more and more insistently, demanding that they be reckoned with. We are sure that a new multipolar world order, the contours of which are already seen, will be more just and democratic. And there is no doubt that Africa, along with Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, will take its worthy place in it and finally free itself from the bitter legacy of colonialism and neo-colonialism, rejecting its modern practices.

Russia welcomes the rising international authority of individual states as well as Africa as a whole, their desire to make their voices strongly heard and to take the continent’s problems into their own hands. We have always supported the constructive initiatives of our partners. We stand for granting African countries their rightful place in the structures that determine the world’s fate, including the UN Security Council and the G20, as well as for reforming the global financial and trade institutions in a way that meets their interests.Regrettably, we see that the situation in the world today is far from stable.

The long-standing conflicts that exist in nearly every region are deepening, and new threats and challenges are emerging. And Africa feels the burden of global challenges like no other part of the world. In such a challenging environment, we look forward to working with our African partners to shape a non-discriminatory agenda for cooperation. The strategic areas of our interaction are set by the decisions of the first Russia-Africa Summit held in Sochi in late October 2019.

The Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was established for their effective implementation. We have set up bilateral intergovernmental commissions for trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation with many countries of the continent, and the network of Russian embassies and trade missions in Africa will be expanded. Further instruments are being actively developed to better structure economic relations and make them more dynamic. I would like to note with satisfaction that Russia’s trade turnover with the African countries increased in 2022 and reached almost 18 billion US dollars.

However, we are all well aware that the potential of our trade and economic partnership is much higher. Russian companies are interested in working more actively on the continent in the sphere of high technologies and geological exploration, in the fuel and energy complex, including nuclear power, in the chemical industry, mining and transport engineering, agriculture and fishery. The changes taking place in the world require the search for solutions related to the establishment of new transport and logistical chains, the formation of a monetary and financial system, and mechanisms of mutual settlements that are safe and free from unfavourable external impacts.

We understand the importance of uninterrupted food supplies for the socio-economic development and political stability of the African states. On this basis, we have always paid great attention to issues related to the supply of wheat, barley, maize and other crops to African countries. We have done so both on a contractual basis and free of charge as humanitarian aid, including through the United Nations Food Programme.

Thus, in 2022, Russia exported 11.5 million tonnes of grain to Africa, and almost 10 million tonnes more were delivered in the first half of 2023 – despite the sanctions imposed on our exports, which severely hamper the supply of Russian food products to developing countries, complicating transport logistics, insurance arrangements and bank payments.

Many have probably heard of the so-called “grain deal,” whose initial purpose was to ensure global food security, reduce the threat of hunger and help the poorest countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America – the reason why Russia undertook the obligation to facilitate its implementation in the first place. This “deal,” however, while it was publicly advertised by the West as a gesture of goodwill that benefited Africa, has in fact been shamelessly used solely for the enrichment of large US and European businesses that exported and resold grain from Ukraine.

Judge for yourselves: in almost a year, a total of 32.8 million tonnes of supplies were exported from Ukraine under the “deal,” with over 70 percent of the exports ending up in high- and upper-middle-income countries, including in the European Union, whereas such countries as Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia, as well as Yemen and Afghanistan, received less than 3 percent of the supplies, i.e. less than one million tonnes.In the meantime, none of the “deal” provisions relating to the exemption from sanctions of Russian grain and fertiliser exports to world markets, were fulfilled. Moreover, barriers have been mounted even to our attempts to supply free of charge mineral fertilisers to the poorest countries in need. Of 262,000 tonnes of goods blocked in European ports, only two shipments were delivered – one of 20,000 tonnes to Malawi and one of 34,000 tonnes to Kenya. The rest is still unscrupulously held by the Europeans. And this is a purely humanitarian initiative we are talking about, which should be exempt from any sanctions as such. Considering all these facts, there is no longer any use in continuing the “grain deal” as it has failed to serve its original humanitarian purpose.

We argued against further extending the “deal,” which terminated as of July 18.I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis, especially as we expect another record harvest this year.Notwithstanding the sanctions, Russia will continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilisers and other goods to Africa. We highly value and will further develop the full spectrum of economic ties with Africa – with individual states as well as regional integration associations and, naturally, with the African Union.

We welcome this organisation’s strategic course towards further economic integration and the formation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. We are ready to build pragmatic, mutually beneficial relations, including within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. We are also willing to step up cooperation with other regional integration organisations on the continent.In keeping with the existing tradition, we intend to continue providing assistance to African states in building their national human resource capacity. There are currently about 35 thousand students from the continent in Russia, more than 6,000 of them receive Russian government scholarships.

Each year we increase the number of scholarships, promote paid higher education options and facilitate inter-university ties, which have gained significant momentum in recent times. Bringing humanitarian, cultural, sports and mass media cooperation to a whole new level would serve our common interests. I would like to seize this opportunity to invite our young African friends to the World Youth Festival, which will take place in Sochi, Russia, in March 2024. This large-scale international forum will bring together more than 20,000 participants from more than 180 countries for an informal, friendly and open dialogue that is free from ideological and political barriers, racial and religious prejudice and would consolidate the young generation around the ideals of lasting and durable peace, prosperity and creative spirit.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that we attach great importance to the upcoming second Russia–Africa Summit. We expect that the Summit would adopt a comprehensive Declaration, a number of joint statements and approve the Russia – Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan to 2026. We are working to prepare an impressive package of intergovernmental and interagency agreements and memoranda with individual states as well as regional associations of the continent.I am looking forward to welcoming the African leaders in St. Petersburg and stand committed to a fruitful constructive dialogue. I firmly believe that the decisions adopted at the Summit and Forum, coupled with continuous diversified joint work will contribute to further development of RussianAfrican strategic partnership for the benefit of our countries and peoples.

***Vladimir Putin,
President of the Russian Federation

Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress and a Successful Future

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Aftermath of Modi’s Visit: Nigeria Should Expect Rise in Already Existing Over 200 Indian Companies, Growth in $27 billion Indian investment, Indian Government Promises

Published

5 days ago

November 17, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Aftermath of Modi’s Visit: Nigeria Should Expect Rise in Already Existing Over 200 Indian Companies, Growth in $27 billion Indian investment, Indian Government Promises

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria should expect more Indian investment in Nigeria with the growth in over 200 companies presently operating in the country and increase in the present investment of over $27 billion in the nation’s economy by Indian interest, the Indian government has assured.

Addressing the media on Sunday in Abuja on the fallout from the visit of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to the country, the Secretary of Economic Relations at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Dammu Ravi, said: “While Indian companies are very strong in the traditional areas of manufacturing in Nigeria, with more than 200 companies having invested $27 billion in the economy here, there are new areas that are being identified, which include, as we discussed, the agriculture part of it, particularly lentils and other things which are being considered as a possibility. Then irrigation services, seed, hybrid seed development, research and development on good seeds, climate-resistant seeds and other things are being considered so that that area can also come into focus between the two countries.

“So we talked about mining, we talked about various issues pertaining to small and medium enterprises, the skill development part of it.

“Already we have some experts who have been training for more than six months in SMEDAN over here, entrepreneurial development skills. And also through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation where we have been sending people to India for skill development, that also came into focus. So we would be considering all these things too, we are diversify the areas of our cooperation in trade and economic relations, as well as to strengthen our trade cooperation.”

He also revealed that India is interested in further investment in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, stating that: “There was a very good concentration of topic on oil and gas investment. Some Indian companies are already working on the CNG areas, which is the focus area of the President also. There are companies which are working in CNG city-wide network as well as setting up the outlets for CNG over here. CNG kits are being also sent over here so that it can be put in the cars and vehicles to use the CNG.”

He noted that on pharmaceuticals and medicine, there are nearly $4 billion of investment by Indian companies in the pharmaceutical sector here in Nigeria, and there is already existing eye hospitals of India in Abuja and Lagos, as well as another multi-speciality hospital.

He said: “I can also tell you that there is going to be a bigger hospital, a 300-bed hospital that has come up in Abuja, which will be open very shortly with expert doctors and technicians and others from India with modern technology. So that hospital chain would also be expanding itself into other geopolitical areas too.”

He said India, in agreement with Nigeria, looks forward to the reform of the United Nations Security Council, stating that there is urgent need to update the global governance structure to reflect current realities.

He noted that the existing structure, established in 1945, no longer meets the needs of the modern world and that significant changes are required.

Ravi highlighted the shared stance of India and Nigeria in advocating for a more inclusive Security Council, pointing out that both nations represent the interests of the Global South, which remains underrepresented in international decision-making.

He insisted that: “The world has changed significantly since the establishment of the UN, but the Security Council’s structure has not evolved accordingly.

“Nigeria and India are on the same page on the need for reform. We have to keep working on that in different forums to sensitise the countries on the need for our positions.”

The call for reform came as part of a broader effort by developing nations to secure a greater voice in global governance.

Ravi underscored the importance of unity among countries in the Global South, including major players like India and Nigeria, to advocate effectively for changes in the UNSC’s composition.

The UNSC currently has 15 members, including five permanent members with veto power: the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France.

However, despite having 54 member states in the UN, Africa lacks permanent representation.

The US recently proposed expanding the council to include two permanent seats for African countries, with Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt emerging as leading contenders due to their economic and political influence.

According to Ravi, the key to successful reform lies in collective action.

He noted that countries from the Global South, which have experienced significant political and economic growth over the past few decades, should have a more substantial role in international decision-making.

He said, “We need to build this understanding that there is a need for the UN reform and that is the fundamental. The reform is necessary and it has to be done quickly.”

Addressing the question of African representation, Ravi acknowledged that Africa has its own consensus on the need for reform.

However, he pointed out the complexity of aligning the positions of various African nations with those of other countries advocating for change, such as India.

Aftermath of Modi’s Visit: Nigeria Should Expect Rise in Already Existing Over 200 Indian Companies, Growth in $27 billion Indian investment, Indian Government Promises

International

STRUGGLE FOR PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD AS THE DEFINING LIMINAL MOMENT OF OUR TIME

Published

5 days ago

November 17, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

STRUGGLE FOR PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD AS THE DEFINING LIMINAL MOMENT OF OUR TIME

By: Yusuf Maitama Tuggar

A liminal moment is a time of realization that the way things are is no longer sustainable, yet the way thing will become is yet to happen. In other words, a liminal moment is a period of transition. The quest of Palestinians for statehood and the right to exist is going through a transition period in which the world is awakening to the fact that Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank and the institutionalised system of segregation used to administer the territories is neither tenable nor sustainable. Although the violence and carnage being meted out to the Palestinians appears at first glance to strengthen the hands of the Israeli government and provides opportunity for settlers to expand territorial ambitions, a closer examination reveals it to be a pyrrhic victory. The resolve of the innocent civilians on the receiving end is only getting stronger, determined to avert another Nakba, the term referring to the exodus that followed the 1948 partitioning that created the state of Israel. Many Palestinians lost their homes in the event, never to return again. Families still clutch on to the keys of their houses as mementos of a mistake passed down from one generation to another, that must never be repeated again. The struggle for Palestinian statehood is the liminal moment of our time.

When it comes to standing up against injustice and racial discrimination, Nigeria has maintained an admirable consistency. We deployed resources and energy over three decades towards the liberation of Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Apartheid South Africa. Nigeria follows the dictum of International Relations guru Hans Morgenthau of making ethical foreign policy behaviour an integral part of its state objective. President Bola Tinubu continued this tradition when he spoke out equably for an end to the violence in Palestine and Lebanon during the Arab-OIC Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh on 11th of November 2024, calling for the actual implementation of the two-state solution that has been the subject of several UN Resolutions, dating back to Resolutions 242 and 338 of 1967. President Tinubu’s intervention was considered by other countries in attendance as providing the missing mechanism when he suggested the creation of a secretariat to monitor implementation of the Summit’s resolutions and provide regular reports to the leadership, until peace is achieved. This was unanimously adopted as a late addition to the draft resolution and hailed as a departure from previous ones that lacked implementation mechanisms.

President Tinubu has remained deeply concerned by the human suffering in Gaza, especially of children and women. For this reason, Nigeria worked with Red Cross officials and employed its diplomatic channels to facilitate the evacuation of sick and injured children to Egypt, UAE and Jordan. Today three-year-old Alaa Madhon, nine-month-old Salma Chagu of Khan Yunus, another three-month-old baby Alaa and baby Suhail are all alive with the help of Nigeria’s back channel diplomatic efforts. In his speech, President Tinubu reminded the world that the conflict did not begin on October 7th, contrary to media reporting that often gives the impression that the Hamas attack and kidnapping of civilians was the casus belli that justified Israeli aggression and discounting the daily aggression meted out to Palestinians living under the apartheid system in Gaza and the West Bank. He candidly challenged leaders by stating it was not enough to issue empty condemnations and although a countries in a rules-based international order had the right to self-defence, they had to take into account the proportionality of violence they applied, especially on innocent civilians. President Tinubu pointed out that an entire civilian population cannot be dismissed as collateral, in meting out revenge for October 7th. The contradiction of justifying the Israeli aggression against innocent civilians within the context of a rules based international law and order is that the whole point of international law is to rule out revenge. Justice is antithetical to revenge.

Those who attempt to give religious colouration to standing up for what is right and just betray a lack of understanding of the Palestinian quest for statehood. Some of the most prominent figures in that struggle have been Christians; academic Edward Said, PLFP founder George Habash, political activist Hanan Ashrawi are among the recognisable names. And within the state of Israel exist Arabs that are Muslim, Christian and Druze. The Republic of South Africa that instituted a genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice is 82% Christian. The nationhood journey of South Africa and the struggle against apartheid make it the most morally appropriate nation to file such a case against Israel where a similar apartheid system confines over 2.2 million people in an open-air prison called Gaza. Like South African Bantustans or homelands, those living within require passes to move around, their fundamental human rights restricted. So South Africans can identify more easily with the plight of the Palestinians as non-citizens on their own land.

But Nigeria can also identify with such a system and share the pain because of our own journey to nationhood. Apartheid was simply an extreme form of indirect rule. The system designed by Lord Lugard and Jan Smuts to answer the native question was to segregate a black majority, creating Sabon Garis and Zangos that restricted movement and mingling among the owners of the land. Black people were not allowed to venture into the Government Reservation Areas (GRAs) of Ikoyi in Lagos and Nasarawa in Kano, else one would be arrested for “wandering”. Late Ibrahim Gusau (who later became a Minister in the first republic) was punished by the colonial authorities for being found in Sabon Gari, with a copy of the West African Pilot, published by anti-colonial agitator Nnamdi Azikiwe. It was therefore not surprising that after gaining independence, Nigeria’s foreign policy maintained a proclivity for standing up against discrimination and injustice. Apart from supporting liberation movements to free others from the colonial choke hold, Nigeria refused to sell oil to Apartheid South Africa and penalised businesses that dealt with racist regimes on the continent. The Balewa government lobbied for the expulsion of South Africa from the Commonwealth and set up the National Committee Against Apartheid across the country, the Gowon government helped strengthen the United Nations Committee Against Apartheid and pushed for recognition of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde as independent states, the Murtala/Obasanjo administration created the Southern Africa Relief Fund (SAFR) or Mandela tax as it was popularly known, and the Shagari government engineered the Lancaster House Conference that paved the way for Zimbabwe’s independence. President Tinubu continues this noble tradition by standing up for the actualisation of the two-state solution.

Nigeria’s diversity gives it an advantage on the world stage in consensus building through the hard work of conversation and virtues of principled compromise. Though this may be taken for granted at home because it comes naturally to us, it remains an uncommon trait abroad much admired by others. It is a gift that we must continue to tap into in our share political project both at home and abroad.

Yusuf M Tuggar
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Federal Republic of Nigeria

International

Nigeria Congratulates Trump on Election as US President

Published

2 weeks ago

November 6, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Nigeria Congratulates Trump on Election as US President

By: Michael Mike

The Nigerian government has congratulated the Republican candidate in the United States of America presidential election, Donald Trump for his victory at the poll.

The Nigerian government in a statement on Wednesday signed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Eche Abu-Obe wish the 45th president who has been elected by the reason of the election as the 47th president great success.

The statement read: “Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to congratulate incoming President Donald Trump on his victory as the next President of the United States of America.

“Nigeria wishes the 47th President of the United States of America great success in steering the affairs of the country and further assures of continued support and cooperation in matters of international peace and security.

“The Federal Republic of Nigeria applauds the Democratic contestant, Kamala Harris, for her efforts and contributions during her tenure as the Vice President of the United States of America.

“In the same vein, Nigeria also applauds outgoing President, Joe Biden, for his leadership and service to the American people.”