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BRICS Offers Africa Better Opportunities for Economic, Political Growth—Eyutchae

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Eric Eyutchae

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

In this, Architect Eric Eyutchae, National Vice President of Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), an Enugu-based socio-political organization which focuses on the development of South East Nigeria, on the eve of XVI BRICS summit in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, discusses Africa’s political and development pitfalls, evolutionary features of BRICS+ Association, its current challenges and implications for Africa and the entire Global South. Here are the interview excerpts:

How would you argue the fact that under Russia’s presidency, BRICS+ has consolidated its position in Africa?

Architect Eric Eyutchae: BRICS is redesigning the economic, political and social landscape in Africa, as more and more African countries with increasing desire to join BRICS. From the very beginning, it is clear that the consolidation started with South Africa as one of the pioneering countries that made up BRICS.

South Africa attended the 3rd BRICS summit in 2011, with South Africa as the ‘S’ in the BRICS acronym. I think from that moment, the African direction of consolidation started with South Africa especially being one of the major powerhouses in Africa. Personally, I think that was a great move.

As you know, BRICS is a new socio-cultural and political organization that is barely 20 years in existence, so talking about the total consolidation of African nations now would be rather too early to acknowledge. However, BRICS is Africa’s largest trading partner as of today and with Ethiopia and Egypt who have joined BRICS and many more African nations expressing interest in joining BRICS, there seems to be a serious seismic shift of African nations from non-western alliances and organizations towards BRICS.

We can recall the 5th BRICS summit, held in South Africa, was solely focused on BRICS and Africa. The major theme at that time was about partnership, integration and industrialization between Africa and BRICS. In fact, that evidently showed the consolidation of African states has been in the making over the years, with trade volumes rapidly increasing over the years.

Today’s BRICS under the Chairmanship of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has practical evidence to increase the process of enlargement and consolidation. A lot however would depend on how critical and important Africa’s partnership with BRICS is viewed from Putin’s perspective. But I am very optimistic there has been an increase in Africa’s relationship with Russia, in particular, over these past few years mainly instigated by the Russian/Ukraine war.

In a short assessment, I think the war has helped to loosen the Western tight grip on Africa and paved the way for African leaders to shop around for better developmental opportunities. And BRICS, on the whole, is offering Africa better opportunities for economic, socio-cultural and political growth.

In terms of economic cooperation and trade, China continues to play the leading role. But at the same time, Russia and India have perspectives of raising their economic standing in the region. What are your views here?

In a practical sense, China today is Africa’s biggest trading partner. As the saying goes, ‘it is not who started first that wins the race.’ So I think that for Russia and India, a lot is still in the making. First of all, we need to take a clinical look into the basic principles of BRICS and its policies towards the African continent. It holds the keys to this major seismic shift in Africa’s look towards the BRICS nations.

They have one thing in common, which is their socio-economic and political values. Today, there is a serious geopolitical struggle between Russia and Western nations. Let us be reminded that the policy of the Soviet Union, back in those days, with Africa was basically geared towards one interest, which was primarily to spread socialism and communism all around the continent. Today is quite understandable that Russia and the then Soviet Union are completely different countries.

According to President Putin during last year’s Russia –Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russian companies are interested in agriculture, fuel and energy sectors, nuclear power, chemical industry, mining, transport engineering and fishery. A lot of intergovernmental commissions for trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation have been set up all around the continent to foster this new economic partnership.

Russian economic interest in Africa has been rapidly gaining ground, but yet noticeably lagging behind China and the United States. Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia’s economic interest in Africa has significantly increased. Economic opportunities come as a result of the right political trajectory that Moscow focuses on.

This is the reason why Russia would and can develop very strong economic ties, unlike most other countries that started off first with economics and later politics. The Russia-Africa Summit, for example, was a big boost for the new Russia-Africa economic cooperation.

There is also the need to take into serious consideration Russia’s freight transportation super-projects between EuroAsia and African continents. It is being facilitated through these new transport megaprojects, the North to South corridor and the Arctic sea routes. These initiatives are part of what makes Russia’s economic adventures in Africa look very bright. Moreso, Russia has quite an interesting non-aggressive.

Historical ties with Africa date back to the days of General Gannibal, the first black General in the Russian Army and who happened to be the great-grandfather of Alexander Pushkin, the great Russian poet. Russia at the time was the first to make an African noble while others were busy enslaving Africans. Also, let us remember how Russia helped to fight Apartheid in South Africa. Russia has more opportunities to leverage when it comes to Africa because of its clean records of human relations with African countries. Its economic relations with Africa is rapidly building up to a win-win situation for both Russia and Africa.

The truth is that right from the 1st century AD, Africa, India and the Middle East have already been trading partners. Most of these current relationships and partnerships can be traced to their history. As far as India is concerned, India and Africa have had a very long and shared history many centuries ago and to date. Back in the days, many Africans visited India as traders and slaves, indeed many lived and played very important roles in Indian society right from around the 4th century, so it is no surprise that we see strong economic ties being sustained over the years, What we are witnessing now is an increase in these bilateral relations.

India like most African countries was once a British colony but in recent years India has taken hold of its destiny as a great nation. India from the very beginning has been a great voice in the decolonisation of Africa and also the fight against apartheid, so it is not surprising that these political relations are materializing economically for both Africa and India. It is worthy to note that Indian independence from its colonial master was a model for African emancipation.

The historic ties go to the many years Mahatma Gandhi lived in South Africa. At the time Africa was referred to as the Indian sister continent by Nehru, the Indian first Prime Minister. India has over the years kept a very warm and cordial relationship with African countries who have been visiting New Delhi frequently in less than 10 years. That alone is a good signal that things are working out well as far as bilateral relations are concerned and points to the fact that creating good political relations is more important to growing economic relations and not the other way around.

It is not surprising that India-Africa trade relations have been growing annually by 18% since early 2000. India, as of today, is Africa’s 3rd largest trading partner after China and the EU nations. Let us note that is also the second-largest lender in Africa. Furthermore, India is a member of the African Development Bank. This goes to show how serious India-Africa economic relations are in reality. I see an increase in these partnerships, this is a result of their historic cooperation over the decades.

On the whole all resourceful trades and businesses are powered by individual relationships. Interpersonal relationships are the boosters of all other partnerships, so I see a very bright future for Russia, India and Africa’s economic relations. It is important to mention here the role of India in getting the African Union to become a member of the G20.

Do you also think lack of good governance, poor state policies and organisations are still factors hindering development in Africa? Despite the enormous resources, both natural and human, why is Africa’s living standard poor for the majority of its population?

This is a very deep and interesting question. Africa’s inability to develop rapidly judging from its enormous natural reserves is quite saddening and the reasons for this are multifaceted. The first reason is poor governance as you rightly pointed out. A nation can rightly develop in as much as its policies are at par with development. And I believe we are talking about economic development. The development itself has many facets. Africa’s inability to elect good leaders has been a major setback and has negatively impacted on entire economic development.

On the other hand, foreign influence in electing or installing African leaders for foreign interests is part of the reason for such poor leaders in Africa. Some foreign powers see Africa as an economic competitor if given the chance, and the chance here means good leadership in Africa.

The other reason here is the ignorance of Africans stemming from a lack of proper education. Unfortunately, the colonial masters might have left Africa physically to some extent but their spirit and religious views are still maintained in Africa. The education in Africa has been greatly distorted and has not been beneficial to Africa’s development. It is this ignorance that is leveraged during elections in Africa to deceive the poor masses into voting the wrong candidates into positions of power. This translates to rigging and corruption of the electoral system.

The illiterate and mostly ignorant masses are the instruments used to rig and elect bad leaders who do the bidding of their foreign masters. This is an unfortunate situation. Hardly will you see an African leader who works for the interest of their people. They are mostly after power and lavish lifestyles. There are examples all over the continent.

The poor government policies and poor organizational structure of African governments are sustained due to the ignorance of the poor masses. In Africa today, many are involved so much with local politics that is rooted in corruption and have little understanding of global geopolitics. They lack the understanding of the trickle-down effects of geopolitics.

Most Africans really don’t understand how their countries are being influenced politically, socially and economically by global politics. Ignorance makes the masses have the wrong order of values and virtues. I would believe that the right education can right most of these wrongs. The more aware and conscious a society is, the faster it can achieve great heights in all aspects of life.

Do you think with the changing geopolitical situation, BRICS+ can facilitate and support Africa?

Yes, I believe so. As I mentioned earlier, it is all in the BRICS policies towards Africa and with South Africa as a foundational member and India as a long-time ally I see great support for Africa’s growth creating a win-win situation for both BRICS and Africa.

Can you explain the challenges which currently remain in the region, especially with reference to Global South? How does Africa fit in here, as an integral part of the Global South?

Africa’s challenges today are the same challenges as yesteryears stemming from its past colonial rule. Africa’s difficulty in cutting away from its past as a colony to Western European and American powers is a major hindrance. This actually cuts both ways, in the sense that a lot matters how we as Africans view ourselves and how our past colonial masters view Africa. I would think that African consciousness is lacking in most African countries. This is where the right education plays a major role. When you have a well-educated society there is every other possibility for such a society to thrive but in Africa, the issue of brain drain persists as also a limiting factor to development whereby aside from bad leadership, the few smart and conscious individuals are given opportunities by foreign countries to work in various developed nations.

This is a situation that made African societies lose most of the experts and professionals they have to already developed nations because at home they might become useless even with all the talent and knowledge due to unemployment and poor infrastructures. With poor electricity supply for example it is impossible to have machines operate or even to read books and to function adequately as a human being in the 21st century.

Yet Africa lacks in all of this. As far as the Global South is concerned, I am not sure much would change, except that the former members of G-77 countries who were known as the Third World countries are now called the Global South. It’s just ‘a new term’ coined for developing countries. From all indications, these are countries that are striving to become economically independent.

BRICS has been advocating for serious reforms within the multilateral institutions, supporting African unified voices on the world stage. Why do African leaders hate to clean and put their own homes in order? Why do they refuse to undertake reforms at the African Union, and all the Regional Economic blocs especially ECOWAS?

With the United Nations, BRICS has been advocating for reforms in these institutions. You see, these reforms have been in anticipation for decades. After the 2008 financial crisis, BRICS was formed to seek an alternative to the Bretton Woods multilateral financial institutions.

BRICS cannot rely on institutions like the IMF, World Bank et cetera, to make the necessary reforms through multilateral institutions like G20 and the rest. However, BRICS, now taking control of the majority of global oil producers, has the potential to advance these reforms, but first and foremost, BRICS member states need to make clear their collective aims and directions of the organization as new members are absorbed into the organization.

I think that it’s not as much supporting a unified African voice on global affairs, as it is for supporting the entire voice of the Global South of which Africa is a major part. Of course, it is expected that through BRICS, Africa has a great opportunity to make its collective voice heard globally but the problem is in the collectivity of these African nations to be able to have a united voice. The various African leaders arrogantly refuse to clean up their countries basically because they don’t call the shots.

Unfortunately, Stockholm syndrome is still very real in most African countries. Hence, reforms can be made in the African Union, ECOWAS and other African regional organizations only when these African nations clean up all the rot in their various countries, and the truth is that no one is coming from outside to do it for Africans. Africans have to clean up themselves.

Indeed, it is often asked how can Africa have a collective voice when most of the individual voices are echoes of their master’s voices. Therefore, not until Africa becomes mentally free from its colonial masters, can there be any real collective African voice.

The world witnessed the sham elections in the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) last year, where there was zero accountability from the electoral body mandated to carry out these elections. How can such a country undergo any meaningful reforms voluntarily? The ball actually is in Africa’s court and we must play by the rules of development or gradually go extinct.

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Lagos to Get New Building Code in 2025

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3-storey building collapses mushin2

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Lagos State Government has expressed its readiness to get a brand-new Building Code next year, to achieve the high-performance standards needed to make Lagos a sustainable and Smart City.

The government’s readiness was disclosed at the Lagos State Executive Council Retreat on the Domestication of the Lagos Building Code, organised by the Office of the Special Adviser on e-GIS and Urban Development, held at Ikeja GRA on Wednesday.

Speaking during the retreat, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu emphasised the need for more collaboration among all the ministries and agencies in the built sector, to ensure the state development in line with global best practices.

He said the motive behind the Lagos Building Code is to have a building regulation that would make Lagos much more resilient.

“We (Lagos State Government) are the first to domesticate the National Building Code, which is the creation of the Federal Government. We are not doing anything outside the vision at the sovereign and sub-sovereign levels. But what is unique about our own is the fact that all the cabinet members see the need to have an input because it would be an outcome that would affect lives and different ministries and agencies.

“So, there is a need for everybody to have a say, and at the end of the day, collectively we will resolve to have a way.

“What we are trying to do is for Lagos State to do what is obtainable internationally: have a building regulation in which we have a standard of construction in design, manner of land use occupancy, and use of building materials, which we believe would eventually improve and help with health, safety, and occupancy issues.

“It is all about building sustainably, making Lagos a lot more resilient and able to absorb shock in the future and able to stand in the comity of developed cities and city-states as we see in various parts of the world,” he said.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Urban Development, Mr Olajide Babatunde, stated that the Lagos Building Code is to complement the existing regulatory framework and provide a comprehensive solution to the challenges of land use, physical development, and urban planning.

Mr Babatunde said the Lagos Building Code will regulate building control, planning permission, and address the issues of setbacks; take care of the safety and sustainability of the environment; and also prevent the collapse of buildings.

“We have been working on the domestication of the National Building Code, and by next year, we are going to have our own brand-new Lagos Building Code. We have worked with professional bodies and people from academia, market women, and the public in general, and through a participatory approach, we can come out with a document that is acceptable to everyone and useful to the entire state,” he said.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure, Mr Olufemi Daramola, described the Lagos State Building Code initiative by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration as the next step to Green Lagos that will enable the state to plan buildings properly and ensure durable infrastructure in the state.

During the retreat, members of the Lagos State Executive Council brainstormed and advocated aggressive sensitisation for residents of the State on the Lagos Building Code before implementation.

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Apostle Femi Lazarus Emerges Most Streamed Podcast in Nigeria on Spotify

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Apostle Femi Lazarus

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A report released by Spotify has revealed that in 2024, Apostle Femi Lazarus was the most streamed podcast on its platform, closely followed by Motivation Daily by Motiversity.

Podcasts are one of Africa’s favourite ways to tell stories. With almost 4 billion minutes of podcast audio played in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, the continent’s appetite for this content is loud and clear.

South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya listened to the most shows this year, with South Africa contributing over 2 billion minutes. If you started playing podcasts on one device today, it would make for about 30 centuries of listening.

“The numbers don’t lie. Podcasting is here to stay because it lets creators take control of their narratives and tell these stories on their terms while bringing their community along for the journey,” the Sub-Saharan Africa Podcast Manager for Spotify, Ncebakazi Manzi, stated.

Motivational shows around issues like managing finances, relationships, personal goals and health remain popular across the three leading countries. Shows like “The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett”, “Motivation Daily by Motiversity” and “The Success Addicted Podcast” have attracted listeners who want to get their lives in order and learn from the stories of inspirational people.

Audiences in Nigeria and South Africa embrace shows about spirituality. “Christian Motivation” had one of the most shared episodes in South Africa while “Apostle Joshua Selman” maintained his popularity in Nigeria for another year. As the continent’s second-largest podcast market, Nigeria listened to 700 million minutes in 2024 and it created half of the new shows published in Sub-Saharan Africa this year.

Even though spirituality dominated Nigeria’s top charts, the continued popularity of shows like “I Said What I Said” and “The HonestBunch Podcast” tell us that listeners also want conversation-style shows. Listeners in Kenya and South Africa also showed an affinity toward these shows.

A good laugh with friends

The “ShxtsnGigs” podcast, an opinion show hosted by two best friends James and Fuhad, tapped into audiences’ hunger for conversational shows. The humorous podcast has made its way to the top charts in six of the top 10 podcast-playing African countries. In Kenya, The 97s Podcast has been inspired by this approach where funny and frank chats between hosts Trevor, Frank and Dante have led the podcast to take the number-one spot in the country for the first time.

Kenya’s broader listening data shows that relationships are a meaningful taking point. Seven of the 10 most shared episodes in the country discuss love, sex lives and dating. Julia Gaitho’s “So This Is Love” holds three out of the top five most shared podcast episodes in the country. Her interviews resonated because she draws lessons from her guest’s stories about lost lovers.

Some listeners just wanted to laugh through the pain. Ensemble shows like “Mic Cheque Podcast” and “The Sandwich Podcast” made Kenyans feel like they were hanging out with a close circle of friends. When difficult topics come up, moments of infectious laughter help lighten the mood.

Women creators like Murugi Munyi, Julia Gaitho, Sharon Machira and Lydia K.M. take this comedic approach to a new level on shows like “The Messy Inbetween” and ‘It’s Related, I Promise’. This genre contributed heavily to the country’s 400 million podcast minutes streamed in 2024.

Below are the most streamed and shared podcasts for the year;

 

TOP SHARED PODCAST EPISODES IN SOUTH AFRICA

TOP SHARED PODCAST EPISODES IN KENYA

TOP SHARED PODCAST EPISODES IN NIGERIA

  1. Serial Killers – Killer Nurse Kristen Gilbert

  2. True Crime News: The Podcast – Pam Hupp charged with murder of Betsy Faria

  3. The Diary of a CEO – The Happiness Expert That Made 51 Million People Happier

  4. The Joe Rogan Experience – #2152 – Terrence Howard

  5. The Joe Rogan Experience – #2219 – Donald Trump

  1. The Sandwich Podcast – MAISHA YA STUNNA Ft (LIL MAINA)

  2. So This Is Love – Melody and Kev ep1

  3. So This Is Love – Mathew & Scarlet – S4 | E1

  4. So This Is Love – Njoki & Njue – S4 | E2

  5. Heart II Heart With Mike and Shiko – EP 1 | Genesis – How it all began

  1. David’s Christian Centre – Worship with Minister Dunsin Oyekan (A) | Mainland

  2. Apostle Femi Lazarus – Trauma

  3. Apostle Femi Lazarus – How To Deal With Pain That Is Not Going Away

  4. Success Addicted Podcast with the voice of Earl Nightingale ; Napoleon Hill ; Jim Rohn and many more – How To Start Working On Your Goals and Visions, Even If You Don’t Like This (Proven Strategies and Hacks) | Jim Rohn

  5. Apostle Femi Lazarus – Trauma & Marriage

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Watt Renewable Secures $15m Loan for Hybrid Solar Power Plants in Nigeria

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Oluwole Eweje WATT Renewable Corporation

By Dipo Olowookere

A $15 million debt facility has been obtained by Watt Renewable Corporation from the AfriGreen Debt Impact Fund to finance hybrid solar power plants to be built and operated by the former, especially in Nigeria.

WATT intends to use the projects to serve commercial and industrial clients in Nigeria, particularly in the telecommunication and financial services sectors.

By integrating solar hybrid solutions, the firm aims to significantly reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions, enabling its clients to achieve substantial energy cost savings while promoting environmental sustainability.

As a pioneer in renewable energy solutions, WATT continues to drive innovation in Nigeria’s energy sector.

The company’s robust roll-out plan includes deploying hundreds of hybrid solar power sites nationwide to meet the growing energy demands of commercial & industrial clients.

This strategic expansion aligns with WATT’s vision to revolutionize energy access across Africa, enabling sustainable development and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

The funds from AfriGreen provide the critical capital needed to accelerate WATT’s ambitious projects, strengthening its market position and empowering businesses with reliable and affordable energy solutions.

Business Post gathered that to mitigate the currency risk for WATT in the event of devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, AfriGreen is offering a local currency facility that matches the payment structure of the power purchase agreements.

“We are thrilled to partner with AFRIGREEN on this transformative journey to expand reliable and sustainable energy solutions across Africa.

“With this support, it enables us to accelerate our shared mission of providing hybrid solar power to businesses, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting economic growth while enhancing energy security for our clients,” the Managing Director of WATT, Mr Oluwole Eweje, said.

“We are delighted to support WATT in rolling out hundreds of hybrid sites across the country.

“This represents another key transaction for AFRIGREEN in Nigeria. The combination of high energy prices, good solar irradiation, and strong demand from industrial and commercial energy users makes this market particularly attractive for companies like WATT.

“By leveraging these favourable market conditions alongside WATT’s exceptional operational performance and a well-structured financing solution, we are setting the stage for a strong and lasting business partnership,” the Managing Director of AfriGreen, Mr Alexandre Gilles, stated.

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