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Russia Educates Future African Leaders

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By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an official statement at the reception on the occasion of Africa Day celebrated on May 25, a continental holiday which epitomises the unwavering will of the African peoples and their struggle in pursuit of freedom and human dignity, reiterated Russia’s preparedness to educate and train future African leaders.

There are various partnerships between Russia and African countries, providing scholarships for African students to study in Russian universities. “We support the efforts to strengthen the human resources capacity building by increasing the number of scholarships. Currently, nearly 35,000 African students are studying in Russia, with about 7,000 among them funded from the Russian budget,” Lavrov said at the diplomats’ gathering in Moscow.

During the first and second Russia-Africa summits, Moscow reiterated its heightened desire to train African youth. There have been repetitive statements about raising scholarships for African students. Some African countries, especially the Francophone have expressed readiness to have their citizens trained in higher educational institutions in exchange for Russia to gain complete access to natural resources.

Then, Russia has also noticeably intensified its diplomatic relationship with Africa and signed several bilateral agreements to undertake development projects in various sectors including high technologies, mining, agriculture, building infrastructure, industry and manufacturing, health and energy. Further, Russian officials gave full-fledged assurances to offer protection against growing neocolonialism which African countries welcomed and have formed an integral part over the years.

Amidst the geopolitical dynamics, Russia has engaged in disparaging the United States and Europe while itself has visibly achieved little across Africa. Its economic footprints are still weak despite resonating pledges and promises, and several bilateral agreements signed with African countries. In an assessment, Africa has been at the bottom of its priority agenda, although it claims broadening influence in the continent. In terms of education and training, scholarships for potential African students are arguably low compared to Asia and Latin America.

According to the Russian Education and Science Ministry, more than 355,000 foreigners are currently studying in Russian universities. Acting Minister Valery Falkov earlier said Russia has the world’s sixth-largest number of foreign students, and Africa is undeniably at the bottom position.

According to calculations by TASS News Agency, the number of foreign students in Russian universities has increased by more than 20% over the past five years. Most often foreign applicants accepted by Russian universities come from China, Vietnam, former Soviet republics, and countries in Asia and the Middle East.

The above TASS report has seriously overlooked Africa. This precedence of positioning Africa at the bottom of the policy agenda could be found in many official reports. And sometimes, ignored completely. Africa has been and still is at the bottom of Russia’s policy agenda and this has been reflected in its economic projects undertaken and completed in Africa. Political dialogues are excellent and official visits forth and back increasingly proliferated. Conferences and meetings abound, and reports are frequently issued.

The number of African students who receive education in Russia is approaching 35,000 people, according to RIA Novosti. According to Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, Konstantin Mogilevsky, speaking at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July 2023, informed that since the last academic year the Russian scholarship has increased to about 4,000 people.

“The present and the future of Russia-Africa relations is not about charity, it’s about co-development,” stated Evgeny Primakov, Head of the Russian Federal Agency for International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) and also a member of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at the International Parliamentary Conference Russia – Africa in a Multipolar World, held in Moscow under the auspices of the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly. Concerning education and training, Putin indicated that cooperation between Russia and African countries in education is at a traditionally high level. At the same time, the annual quota for state-funded scholarships at Russian universities would be more than doubled, he said.

But the point is that Russia can target African students to boost its image and public perceptions in Africa, especially in this emerging new world. The significance here is to inculcate diversified cultural tolerance, and take advantage of multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism – aspects of modern life – which are necessary prerequisites for the emerging multi-polar world. Nevertheless, Russia largely lags far behind with a well-structured public outreach diplomacy, using education and training young Africans in the developing world.

In various ways, Russian educational institutions could open their doors to the growing number of African elites, estimated at 380 million, almost the same size as the United States and double the population size of Russia. As part of the renewed interest in Africa, Russia can work on opportunities and diverse ways to increase the number of students, especially tuition paying agreements, most possibly on subsidized forms, for children of the growing elite families and middle-class from African countries in Russian universities.

The system of higher education has always been and remains a powerful intellectual resource, generating new ideas and – this is what it was designed for, of course – to offer systematic training of labour for all areas of life in society. This serves as an investment into the achievement of the main target – training professionals who are in demand in the labour market.

With the youth’s education, experts are very critical. Gordey Yastrebov, a Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer at the Institute for Sociology and Social Psychology at the University of Cologne (Germany), argues in an email discussion with this article’s author that “education can be a tool for geopolitical influence in general, and for changing perceptions specifically, and Russia (just like any other country) could use it for that same purpose. However, Russia isn’t doing anything substantial on this front, at least there are only crawling efforts with obvious little outcomes. There are no large-scale investment programmes in education focusing on this.”

A series of credible reports from World University News explicitly show that Asian countries have become the second most popular destination for African students studying abroad with China being number one followed by the likes of India, Japan, Korea, and Israel, among others. For instance, India has also taken steps aimed at building a more practical partnership in many spheres of the continent. New Delhi has a new set of opportunities in human resources development, information technology and education.

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US Coast Guard Lauds Nigeria’s Port Security Efforts

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The United States Coast Guard has commended Nigeria for considerable progress in implementing the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

The commendation came from Mr Joe Prince Larson of the US Coast Guard who led a team from the International Port Security Programme on a Working Tour of some Terminals and Ports in Nigeria to ascertain the level of implementation of the ISPS Code across Nigerian ports facilities.

The evaluations, which commenced last year as part of a three-year plan, are geared towards providing actionable insights and data-based decisions to lift the Condition of Entry (CoE) placed on vessels departing Nigeria for the US.

According to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the team had earlier conducted assessment visits to the Dangote Port and Lekki Free Trade Zones in Lekki, Lagos State, as well as private port facilities operated by Matrix and Julius Berger in Warri, Delta State.

While delivering an interim assessment report to NIMASA Management, Mr Larson noted that Nigeria’s compliance with the ISPS Code ranks amongst the best globally.

He added that his team would report their findings to the leadership of the US Coast Guard accordingly and expressed confidence that NIMASA had the capacity to maintain the high standards attained to date.

“We had the pleasure of visiting Matrix and Julius Berger in Warri, Delta State, before proceeding to the Lekki Deep Seaport and Dangote Port in Lagos, with the overall assessment being very positive.

“We noted that there is a clear and deep understanding on the implementation of the ISPS Code in Nigeria with the level of compliance observed to be at par with some of the best maritime nations globally. We would report our findings back to US Coast Guard headquarters accordingly.”

On his part, the Director General of NIMASA, Mr Dayo Mobereola, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to maintaining the improved compliance standards at Nigeria’s ports.

He highlighted the positive impact of these efforts on the country’s international reputation, adding that the agency would continue to support efforts under the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, to improve standards in the Nigerian maritime industry.

According to him, “I must express my happiness at the positive feedback we have received from the USCG delegation as it serves as reward for the Federal Government’s commitment to the develop of the sector, and the work of the Agency, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, to ensure international standards are adhered to in the area of port security.”

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Somalia Joins Afreximbank as 53rd African Member

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By Adedapo Adesanya

Somalia has formally joined the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), becoming the 53rd African member state of the African multilateral financial institution.

Somalia has been shaped by decades of conflict, political instability, and lack of central governance, which has strongly weakened its economic strength.

Its Afreximbank membership is touted to place the country on a path of sustainable economic transformation, upgrading of the country’s trade and industrial infrastructure, and most importantly joins the rest of the continent in the push towards continental integration and self-reliance through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

In the instrument of accession signed by Mr Hirsi Jama Gani, State Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, Somalia notified Afreximbank that Somalia “accepts, and hereby accedes, to the Agreement for the Establishment of the Bank” and pledged to undertake all necessary steps to expedite ratification of the Agreement.

“On behalf of the Government of Somalia and its people, I sincerely thank Afreximbank for its efforts that led our country to become a member state of the Bank. This milestone agreement signals our commitment to becoming a key player in regional and continental development, especially through trade, under the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This partnership is significant to Somalia’s ongoing reconstruction and economic diversification efforts, opening doors for financial and technical support.”

“We urge Afreximbank to accelerate the implementation of its programs and initiatives in Somalia, aligning them with Somalia’s National Development Plan and helping it meet its ambitious development goals. This is a critical step in realising the full potential of our country and for Somalia to regain its position as a strategic trade hub within East Africa,” Mr Ganni added.

On his part, Mr Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, emphasised the mutual benefits to both parties.

“This is a significant milestone as it widens the opportunity for the Somali public and private sectors to access financing and other related interventions that addresses their real needs. By joining the Bank, Somalia embarks on a new journey of pursuing its developmental aspirations on its own terms, backed by unwavering support from Afreximbank, a bank with proven track record of supporting its Participating States in good and bad times.

“Today, we begin a collective journey to enable the Somali economy to realise the maximum value from its natural resources while hastening its integration into the African Continental Free Trade Area.”

On his part, the Governor of the Central Bank of Somalia, Mr Abdirahman Abdullahi said Afreximbank’s visit to Mogadishu was timely as it came just after Somalia joined the East African Community regional trade bloc in 2024, and successfully completed the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief process.

“The Somali people are renowned for their trade and entrepreneurial spirit, and I urge the business community in Somalia to fully leverage the opportunities offered by Afreximbank under its financing programs, to expand their reach, drive sustainable growth, and contribute to a more connected and competitive economy,” he said.

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AfricInvest Gets €15m Funding Support for African SMEs

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A funding support of up to €15 million has been provided by Swedfund for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Africa.

The money would be managed and disbursed by a private equity initiative, AfricInvest Small Cap Fund.

AfricInvest integrates environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles with a focus on gender equality and sustainability.

The fund aims to invest at least 30 percent of its portfolio in companies that are women-led or have significant female ownership.

Moreover, climate-related objectives will be embedded in the investment process.

Swedfund’s support will help ensure that African SMEs have the resources and guidance they need to grow responsibly and effectively.

With decades of experience and a strong presence across the continent, the fund aims to invest in a range of sectors including agribusiness, healthcare, education, consumer goods, manufacturing and services, and is therefore well positioned to contribute to economic growth and social development.

The choice of SMEs is because they are a cornerstone of economic development, driving job creation and innovation.

However, many companies face significant barriers to accessing capital. This indirect investment can enable more growth-oriented investments to unlock the full potential of SMEs in Africa.

Commenting on the funding support, the Investment Director for Sustainable Enterprises at Swedfund, Sofia Gedeon, said, “This investment will allow Swedfund to expand its support for underserved businesses across Africa.

“AfricInvest aligns its investments with measurable sustainability outcomes, allowing us to drive economic growth, create jobs and promote greater inclusion. At the same time we set new benchmarks for responsible investing.”

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