World
African Union’s G20 Membership: Effective Collaboration Towards Africa’s Economic Growth
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
In this interview, Dr Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary General of the Jaipur-based Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) International, with centres in Accra, Nairobi, Lusaka, Geneva, Washington DC, Hanoi and New Delhi, one of the largest public policy research and advocacy groups in India, discusses African continent’s integration into the Group of Twenty (G20) and other global governance systems. While appreciating the fact that the African Union (AU) became a full member of the Group of Twenty (G20) under India’s presidency in September 2023, Pradeep further underlined that Africa has taken strategic steps to explore new opportunities and to shape policies that can drive sustainable development and foster economic growth in the continent.
The African Union becoming a permanent member of G20 has many implications but there is the necessity for adopting a strategic alignment, capacity building, and stronger collaboration among AU members and with other developing countries. By this particularly for realising the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), African countries have to attempt exploring opportunities within the context of complexities and contradictions of the emerging multipolar world. Here are the interview excerpts:
Are there any significant differences between the European Union and the African Union, in terms of, say aspirations and achievements?
The European Union (EU) is a legally binding treaty among 27 well-to-do countries in Europe, which was called the Treaty of Rome now amended by the Lisbon Treaty, while The African Union (AU) is also a legal treaty among 55 countries in Africa which are mainly poor or developing under the Constitutive Act of Africa. AU is being guided by the EU’s success, but it is only an aspiration of African countries with little political maturity and/or financial resources.
EU is governed by a Council of the 27 heads of state which rotates its Presidency every six months. In the case of AU, the sheer number will not allow short periods of Presidency so it is more of a consensus-based approach. The EU is serviced by the well-endowed European Commission while the AU is serviced by the moderately endowed AU Commission.
Do you think AU’s membership in G20, for instance, could be of any economic benefit in this emerging multipolar world?
By joining the G20, it is joining an exclusive club, which goes beyond economics. In Africa, currently, South Africa is the only member which is also hosting the next Summit in 2025. Even the EU is a single member though not all its members are members of the G20. The membership is akin to countries seeking membership in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) although this requires many sacrifices. Staying out is more disadvantageous than staying in.
What are your uptakes as one of the speakers at the high-level round table titled “Mainstreaming the African Union into the G20”, organised by CUTS International and the Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi, India?
AU member states need to get their act together and their coalition is already deepening due to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). They need capacity building to appreciate and use the benefits of both the AfCFTA and the G20. Together they will be a bigger force to garner concessions from the West, such as debt forgiveness. This issue was raised strongly at the current G20 discussions in Brazil.
What role do you suggest India can further play in supporting Africa’s development within the context of geopolitical rivalries and competition?
India can play the role of an honest broker providing capacity building and technical assistance to African countries. It has been running such development programmes for a few decades, and quite successfully without falling into any ditch where there could be conflicts.
Increasingly, rich countries are tying up with India to provide technical assistance to poor African countries, such as in the sphere of trilateral development projects. These are more cost effective and India can bring in appropriate technology. CUTS International has executed many Trilateral Development Projects in Africa and Asia which has resulted in the advancement of local capacities hugely. This has been done consistently in the area of Competition and Consumer Protection regimes in nearly 25 countries in Africa.
And as a staunch member of BRICS, an informal association, how would you comparatively assess India’s current investment and business engagement with Africa?
These two issues are not related to each other. However, India is providing technical assistance in a big way other than capacity building, medical help and educational opportunities to Africans in a big way. Even armed forces staff from African countries are being trained in India.
How destructive are the ‘rules-based order’ and Western ‘hegemony’ on the continent of Africa? Is this a challenge in pursuit of sustainable development or do African leaders have to look at themselves in the mirror?
The rules-based order is now changing with say climate change norms being forced on poor countries that can ill afford the high standards of carbon management. In overall, the attitude of the rich countries continues to be condescending rather be cooperative. The huge funding required to deal with the harms of climate change and biodiversity is nowhere in sight despite hortatory messages. The money has to come from the rich world which is responsible for the mess in Africa.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
For transforming cross-border payments through its deployment with Global Money Exchange, Comviva has been named Best In-Class Cross Border Payments.
The global leader in digital transformation solutions clinched this latest accolade at the IBS Intelligence Global FinTech Innovation Award 2025.
The recognition highlights how Comviva’s mobiquity Pay is helping shape a modern cross-border payment ecosystem that stretches far beyond conventional remittance services.
Deployed as a white label Wallet Platform and launched as Global Pay Oman App, it fulfils GMEC’s dual vision—positioning itself as an innovative payment service provider while digitally extending its core money transfer business.
The solution allows GMEC to offer international money transfers alongside seamless forex ordering and other services. These capabilities sit alongside a broad suite of everyday financial services, including bill and utility payments, merchant transactions, education-related payments, and other digital conveniences — all delivered through one unified experience.
“This award is a testament to Oman’s accelerating digital transformation and our commitment to reshaping how cross-border payments serve people and businesses across the Sultanate.
“By partnering with Comviva and bringing the Global Pay Oman Super App, we have moved beyond traditional remittance services to create a truly inclusive and future-ready financial ecosystem.
“This innovation is not only enhancing convenience and transparency for our customers but is also supporting Oman’s broader vision of building a digitally empowered economy,” the Managing Director at Global Money Exchange, Subromoniyan K.S, said.
Also commenting, the chief executive of Comviva, Mr Rajesh Chandiramani, said, “Cross-border payments are becoming a daily necessity, not a niche service, particularly for migrant and trade-linked economies.
“This recognition from IBS Intelligence validates our focus on building payment platforms that combine global reach with local relevance, operational resilience and a strong user experience. The deployment with Global Money Exchange Co. demonstrates how mobiquity® Pay enables financial institutions to move beyond remittances and deliver integrated digital services at scale.”
“The deployment of mobiquity Pay for GMEC showcases how scalable, API-driven digital wallet platforms can transform cross-border payments into seamless, value-rich experiences.
“By integrating remittances, bill payments, forex services, and AI-powered engagement into a unified Super App, Comviva has reimagined customer journeys and operational agility.
“This Best-in-Class Cross-border Payments award win stands as a testament to Comviva’s excellence in enabling financial institutions to compete and grow in a digitally convergent world,” the Director for Research and Digital Properties at IBS Intelligence, Nikhil Gokhale, said.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
At the end of an extensive consultation with African foreign ministers, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has emphasized that Moscow would advance its economic engagement across Africa, admittedly outlining obstacles delaying the prompt implementation of several initiatives set forth in Strategic Action Plan (2023-2026) approved in St. Petersburg during the Russia-Africa Summit.
The second Ministerial Conference, by the Russian Foreign Ministry with support from Roscongress Foundation and the Arab Republic of Egypt, marked an important milestone towards raising bilateral investment and economic cooperation.
In Cairo, the capital city of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Lavrov read out the final resolution script, in a full-packed conference hall, and voiced strong confidence that Moscow would achieve its strategic economic goals with Africa, with support from the African Union (AU) and other Regional Economic blocs in the subsequent years. Despite the complexities posed by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, combined with geopolitical conditions inside the African continent, Moscow however reiterated its position to take serious steps in finding pragmatic prospects for mutual cooperation and improve multifaceted relations with Africa, distinctively in the different sectors: in trade, economic and investment spheres, education and culture, humanitarian and other promising areas.
The main event was the plenary session co-chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptians Abroad Bashar Abdelathi. Welcome messages from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdelhak Sisi were read.
And broadly, the meeting participants compared notes on the most pressing issues on the international and Russian-African agendas, with a focus on the full implementation of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023-2026, approved at the second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg in 2023.
In addition, on the sidelines of the conference, Lavrov held talks with his African counterparts, and a number of bilateral documents were signed. A thematic event was held with the participation of Russian and African relevant agencies and organizations, aimed at unlocking the potential of trilateral Russia-Egypt-Africa cooperation in trade, economic, and educational spheres.
With changing times, Africa is rapidly becoming one of the key centers of a multipolar world order. It is experiencing a second awakening. Following their long-ago political independence, African countries are increasingly insisting on respect for their sovereignty and their right to independently manage their resources and destiny. Based on these conditions, it was concluded that Moscow begins an effective and comprehensive work on preparing a new three-year Cooperation and Joint Action Plan between Russia and Africa.
Moreover, these important areas of joint practical work are already detailed in the Joint Statement, which was unanimously approved and will serve as an important guideline for future work. According to reports, the Joint Statement reflects the progress of discussions on international and regional issues, as well as matters of global significance.
Following the conference, the Joint Statement adopted reflects shared approaches to addressing challenges and a mutual commitment to strengthening multifaceted cooperation with a view to ensuring high-quality preparation for the third Russia-Africa Summit in 2026.
On December 19-20, the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Cairo, Egypt. It was held for the first time on the African continent, attended by heads and representatives of the foreign policy ministries of 52 African states and the executive bodies of eight regional integration associations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Social media platform, TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has signed binding agreements with United States and global investors to operate its business in America.
Half of the joint venture will be owned by a group of investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX, according to a memo sent by chief executive, Mr Shou Zi Chew.
The deal, which is set to close on January 22, 2026 would end years of efforts by the US government to force ByteDance to sell its US operations over national security concerns.
It is in line with a deal unveiled in September, when US President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a law that would ban the app unless it was sold.
In the memo, TikTok said the deal will enable “over 170 million Americans to continue discovering a world of endless possibilities as part of a vital global community”.
Under the agreement, ByteDance will retain 19.9 per cent of the business, while Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will hold 15 per cent each.
Another 30.1 per cent will be held by affiliates of existing ByteDance investors, according to the memo.
The White House previously said that Oracle, which was co-founded by President Trump’s supporter Larry Ellison, will license TikTok’s recommendation algorithm as part of the deal.
The deal comes after a series of delays.
Business Post reported in April 2024 that the administration of President Joe Biden passed a law to ban the app over national security concerns, unless it was sold.
The law was set to go into effect on January 20, 2025 but was pushed back multiple times by President Trump, while his administration worked out a deal to transfer ownership.
President Trump said in September that he had spoken on the phone to China’s President Xi Jinping, who he said had given the deal the go ahead.
The platform’s future remained unclear after the leaders met face to face in October.
The app’s fate was clouded by ongoing tensions between the two nations on trade and other matters.
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