World
Russian, African Journalists Discuss Great Personalities in Russian-African Relations History
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
A roundtable of laureates of the first International Contest of Russian and African Journalists: “Great Personalities in the History of Russian-African Relations”, timed to coincide with the 225thanniversary of A.S. Pushkin’s birth, was held on July 31, 2024. The round table was organized by the Russian-African Club of Lomonosov Moscow State University in partnership with the Union of Journalists of Russia, the Faculty of Journalism and the Faculty of Global Studies of Lomonosov Moscow State University with the support of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia).
The speakers of the round table were award-winning contestants, diplomats, media top managers, producers, TV presenters, journalists, public figures, scientists, teachers, and culture and mass media representatives of Russia and African countries.
The contribution of outstanding personalities to the development of relations between Russia and African countries in the works of the contest winners was discussed in the course of the round table. The participants put forward ideas and proposals to popularize knowledge in Russia and Africa about significant persons who contributed to the strengthening of Russian-African relations. They also discussed preparations for the second International contest for Russian and African journalists on the topic: “Short video stories about landmarks of your country”, dedicated to the 270th anniversary of Moscow University. The meeting was held in Russian, English, French and Arabic.
Timur Shafirа, Secretary of the Union of Journalists of Russia, addressed the participants with his welcoming speech. He expressed confidence that events like this contest are of great importance in strengthening relations between nations. In his opinion, journalists are civil diplomats, helping to build constructive partnerships and preserve stability and cooperation.
Anna Gladkova, Deputy Dean for International Cooperation of the Faculty of Journalism of Lomonosov Moscow State University, in her speech, conveyed greetings to the participants from Elena Vartanova, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism of MSU. The speaker also emphasized the special importance of holding this contest on the anniversary of the great genius of Russian poetry Alexander Pushkin and wished further success to the project.
The winner of the contest, a student of the University of International Relations from Cameroon Danielle Juanita Kabeyene told about her article, which she dedicated to the modern Togolese public and political figure, president of the “League for the Defense of Black Africans” Egountchi Behanzin. Winning such a prestigious competition is a great honour, Danielle noted.
Hafiz Basi from Sudan, who also won the contest, wrote an article about Alexander Pushkin, as he considers the great poet to be a true symbol who combined a true love for Russia and Africa. Hafiz noted that the poet never forgot his African roots, which can be proved by many lines from his poems. At the same time, Africa has always known and remembered Pushkin. Many generations of Africans got acquainted with the great Russian literature through Pushkin’s works. Hafiz also told his second article about Pushkin’s ancestor – Abram Petrovich Hannibal who was African. According to the contestant, this bright man also became a symbol of historical relations between Russia and Africa.
Christian Mounene, a laureate from the Democratic Republic of Congo, wrote an article about Patrice Lumumba for the contest, as he considers him a man of great stature, one of the most prominent fighters against colonialism, who stood up for the rights of Africans and expressed the aspirations of African peoples to rapprochement with the USSR and Russia.
The contestant from Senegal, Abdou Karim Diakhate, editor-in-chief of Le Panafricain magazine, who also won the competition, wrote an article about the Senegalese writer and film director Sembene Ousmane, who made a great contribution to awakening Africans in their struggle for independence.
Another contestant from Russia, Anastasia Zapolskaya, called her award-winning article “Sergey Lavrov – the face of Russian diplomacy in the 21st century”. Anastasia said that she was particularly interested in the role of diplomacy in modern world processes. She is sure that Sergei Lavrov, as Russian Foreign Minister, makes a huge contribution to building a just world order based on multipolarity and equality.
The main character of the article by the award-winning contest from South Africa, Khola Kesva, was a prominent military and political leader from Mozambique, Samora Machel, a revolutionary who waged an active guerrilla struggle against the colonizers in close cooperation with the USSR and later became President of Mozambique.
Yves Ekoué Amaïzo, Director of the Afrocentrism think tank from Togo, noted that when writing the article for the contest, he was guided by the idea that there were and are many ordinary people from different countries who make their huge contribution to strengthening ties between Russia and Africa, but their activities are hardly covered in the media. The contest winner expressed the opinion that it is ordinary people working in the Russia-Africa agenda who are the foundation on which strong friendly relations are built day by day.
This idea was supported by a round-table participant from Rwanda, Chairman of the Board of the African Diaspora Union for Truth and Advancement of People of African Descent “Inganzo Gakondo” François-Xavier Tulikunkiko. He noted that there are various Russian-African organizations in many cities in Russia where many things are being done to strengthen relations between Russia and Africa. Besides, a very large number of university graduates from the USSR and Russia now live in almost all African countries, and many of them hold significant positions. The speaker suggested that graduates should be regularly involved in such competitions.
Ilya Shershnev, Program Director of the Russian-African Club of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Global Studies of Moscow State University, noted the important work of university ambassadors – alumni as “envoys” and “ambassadors” of universities in Russia and Africa. In recent years, university ambassadors have appeared in many Russian and foreign universities, they are actively deploying their activity abroad. The geographical expansion of this journalistic contest will largely depend on university ambassadors and their personal relations and contacts.
Zenebe Kinfu, President of the Union of African Diasporas, joined his colleagues’ opinion and called on all organizations active in the field of relations between Russia and Africa to stand together and work on a united front.
President of the Cameroon Diaspora and the round table moderator, Louis Gowend, who is also the Director for African Diasporas and Media at the Russian-African Club of the Lomonosov MSU, stressed that African alumni and Russian-African organizations should become the foundation for relations between Russia and Africa to be built on.
Daniel Sawadogo, Cultural Relations Attaché at the Embassy of Burkina Faso, emphasized the importance of the international journalism contest and called for such contests to be held as often as possible. According to the diplomat, it is necessary for close cooperation between African countries and Russia. Mr. Sawadogo called the journalists’ contest a brilliant success of the MSU Russian-African Club.
Sergey Chesnokov, permanent expert of the Russian-African Club of Lomonosov Moscow State University, international journalist, and academician of PANI, proposed to create branches of the club in African countries. In the expert’s opinion, this would contribute to even closer interaction and would allow us to receive information and exchange opinions with African experts.
Summarizing the round table, Alexander F. Berdnikov, Executive Secretary of the Russian-African Club of MSU, supported the need for interaction between the African diaspora established in Russia and alumni located in African countries. According to him, this contest promotes the establishment of such ties. He suggested publishing a collection of articles written by all participants of the journalism contest and organizing the next contest together with other universities that are also working to strengthen ties between Russia and Africa.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
From Africa’s perspectives on attaining economic sovereignty, Tanzania, located in East Africa, has seriously begun showing the investment model as Russia pledges tremendous support during the meeting of the Russian-Tanzanian intergovernmental commission in Arusha, in mid-May 2026. Russia is undertaking various development projects as well as addressing bilateral issues relating to investment, trade and innovation on the African continent, and described Tanzania as the gateway to the broader East African region.
Step 1: Gazprom is interested in implementing comprehensive gas projects in Tanzania, according to the report issued by the Ministry of Economic Development. It says Gazprom, in addition to selling natural gas, LNG, and petrochemical products, is ready to supply technologies and equipment for gas production, processing, transportation, and sales. It says Gazprom is continuing its work on a pilot project launched last year to supply two mobile gas tankers to Tanzania.
NOVATEK has also indicated its preparedness to participate in natural gas exploration and production projects in Tanzania, and for now, the staff are awaiting information on the date of the fifth round of license allocation for exploration blocks, as well as on the acquisition of blocks outside the tender process—specifically, at the Ntorya field. “Tanzania has significant resource potential, and the economy’s growing demand for electricity and fuel opens up significant opportunities for joint projects. The current situation in the Strait of Hormuz compels us to seek new solutions to ensure that it does not reduce economic growth on the African continent, and particularly in Tanzania,” said Maxim Reshetnikov, head of the Ministry of Economic Development, speaking at a meeting of the Russian-Tanzania intergovernmental commission in Arusha.
Step 2: Russia and Tanzania plan to sign a memorandum of cooperation in tourism in Moscow. In June, as part of the “Travel!” forum in Moscow (June 10-14), the Tanzanian delegation was already given the invitation to participate, noted Reshetnikov while further explaining that Russia is interested in launching direct air service between the two countries, which would “give a powerful boost to tourism development.”
Air Tanzania’s initiative to launch flights from Moscow to Dar es Salaam, with high hopes that Russia and Tanzania will complete the necessary procedures for the entry into force of the new air traffic agreement as quickly as possible. In particular, officials are awaiting notification from the Tanzanian side regarding the entry into force of this agreement.
Air Tanzania will begin flights from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city, on May 28. According to the online flight information at the capital’s Vnukovo Airport, flights on this route will include a stopover on the island of Zanzibar. Flights will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The program will run until October 24.
Step 3: Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected on an official state visit to Russia in June, and that will boost bilateral trade and investment, and provide an additional impetus to developing mutual cooperation.
“In preparation for the upcoming high-level meeting, I propose discussing both promising areas and specific projects… and identifying key areas for further cooperation. In addition to trade, these include energy, transport, industry, agriculture, tourism, science, and education,” Reshetnikov said.
The Tanzanian delegation is expected to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which will be held from June 3 to 6. Usually, at the St. Petersburg forum, the African agenda is of great importance. The programme includes the Russia-Africa Business Dialogue, which, since 2016, has been the annual meeting place for representatives of Russian and African business and official communities. Roscongress Foundation organises it.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Infrastructure solutions provider, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), has committed parts of a $100 million investment to fund managers—Future Africa and Lightrock Africa—to boost African tech venture backing.
The commitment to Lightrock Africa Fund II and Future Africa Fund III is the first tranche of a broader deployment, AFC noted.
The corporation added that it is actively evaluating a pipeline of additional Africa-focused funds spanning a range of strategies and stages, with further commitments expected in the near term.
This is part of its efforts to plug a persistent gap in long-term institutional capital on the continent, which constrains the development and scaling of high-potential technology businesses across the continent, especially with a drop in foreign investments.
“Through this commitment, AFC will deploy catalytic capital in leading Africa-focused technology Funds and, in particular, African-owned fund managers,” it said in a statement on Monday.
AFC aims to address the underrepresentation of local capital in venture funding by catalysing greater participation from African institutional investors and deepening local ownership within the ecosystem.
Despite some success stories on the continent, local institutional capital remains significantly underrepresented across many fund cap tables, with the majority of venture funding continuing to flow from international sources.
AFC’s commitment is designed to shift that dynamic, according to Mr Samaila Zubairu, its chief executive.
“Across the continent, young Africans are not waiting for the digital economy to arrive; they are seizing the moment — adopting technology, creating markets and solving real economic problems faster than infrastructure has kept pace. That is the investment signal.
“AFC’s $100 million Africa-focused Technology Fund will accelerate the convergence of growing demand, rapid technology adoption, youthful demographics and the enabling infrastructure we are building.
“Digital infrastructure is now as fundamental to Africa’s transformation as roads, rail, ports and power — enabling productivity, payments, logistics, services, data and cross-border trade, while creating jobs and industrial scale.”
Mr Pal Erik Sjatil, Managing Partner & CEO, Lightrock, said: “We are delighted to welcome Africa Finance Corporation as an anchor investor in Lightrock Africa II, deepening a strong partnership shaped by our collaboration on high-impact investments across Africa, including Moniepoint, Lula, and M-KOPA.
“With aligned capital, a long-term perspective, and a shared focus on value creation, we are well positioned to support exceptional management teams and scale category-leading businesses that deliver attractive financial returns alongside measurable environmental and social outcomes,” he added.
Adding his input, Mr Iyin Aboyeji, Founding Partner, Future Africa, said: “By investing in AI-native skills, financing productive tools such as phones and laptops, and expanding energy, connectivity and compute infrastructure, we can convert Africa’s greatest asset — its people — into critical participants in the new global economy. AFC’s US$100 million commitment is the anchor this moment demands.
“As our first multilateral development bank partner, AFC is sending a clear signal that digital is as fundamental to Africa’s transformation as agriculture, manufacturing and physical infrastructure. We trust that other development finance institutions, insurers, reinsurers and pension funds will follow AFC’s lead.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Dangote’s East African refinery plan gained momentum as Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni threw his support behind the proposed project following talks with Mr Aliko Dangote.
In a tweet posted on X (formerly Twitter) on May 17, 2026, the Ugandan President announced that he had met with the Nigerian billionaire at Nakasero, and revealed that the meeting centred around the development of a proposed 650,000 barrels per day regional oil refinery in East Africa.
Mr Museveni emphasised adding value by refining oil locally rather than exporting crude, to maximise economic and strategic benefits for the region.
He called for greater regional cooperation and market integration in East Africa, highlighting the importance of large-scale projects for shared prosperity.
Business Post has earlier reported that Kenya has been positioned as the central player following Tanzania’s recent denial of its support of the project.
Mr Dangote said the East African country was his preferred choice due to its established fuel logistics network and port infrastructure serving several neighbouring countries.
In the latest development, the Ugandan president explained that his primary focus remains on value addition.
He detailed why Uganda has historically refrained from exporting raw crude oil, arguing that doing so allows foreign entities to exploit the country’s natural resources and reap the financial rewards of refined products.
“Without refining our oil, it would not make economic or strategic sense to simply export crude oil while others benefit from the finished products,” Mr Museveni stated.
The president expressed strong support for a larger regional refinery, describing it as a crucial step toward “African integration and shared prosperity.”
He further emphasised that East African nations must move past an individualistic mindset and overcome fragmented markets, urging regional cooperation to execute large-scale projects that benefit the entire populace.
“We cannot continue operating in fragmented and weak markets,” Mr Museveni wrote. “If East Africa works together, such projects become more viable and beneficial to our people.”
“Uganda is ready to support the regional refinery initiative while also continuing with the development of our own refinery in Hoima,” he added.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn