World
Russian Language: Too Little, Too Late for Africa
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
Russian language study is hitting magnificent roadblocks in Africa. For several years after the Soviet collapse, Moscow has been stepping up efforts to strengthen Russian language study and its culture across Africa. But there have been few tangible results largely due to low motivation towards the language, its usefulness is blurry compared to other foreign languages including French, English language and now Chinese.
In the previous years, there has been an increasing concern about Russia’s extremely low presence in Africa. Russia’s initial interest was to become part of Europe and construct business ties from Lisbon to Vladivostok, its dream of a prestigious Global North. Africa’s potential is obvious to everyone. Due to the changing geopolitical situation, Russia now hopes to normalize cultural relations but has been hampered by multiple challenges.
The Kremlin leadership, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NGOs, including the Russkiy Mir Foundation created to support language study inside Africa, have to seriously prioritize various motivating factors such as broad all-year-round tourism, people-to-people exchanges, cultural linkages, and more educational collaborations. Trade ties, especially the small and medium scale operators in the private sector (as opposed to state corporate commercial deals) and business people’s interactions are highly limited between the two regions.
Critics say Russia, a staunch advocate for multipolar but still, in real terms, stands far from being receptive, interactive and integrative with foreigners. As it appears, Russia’s irreconcilable cultural differences and colour-discriminatory attitudes make the country a segregated society. It is noticeable that potential African learners simply see few opportunities for practising the Russian language and hard to deepen cultural understanding and dispel stereotypes.
Critics further express doubts, and to what degree, the Russian language can bolster bilateral cultural relations with Africa. Russia’s tourism destination spots are still not popular among the middle-class estimated at 350 million which is double the population of Russia.
Most Africans prefer to study foreign languages to ensure smooth participation in interstate activities such as trade and to maintain relationships with people abroad. Foreign countries, for example, Britain, the United States, European countries and now China are their traditional favourites. There are always interactive programmes and cultural activities operated, throughout the year, by foreign missions and NGOs to support government efforts in forging external multifaceted relations.
From different perspectives, Russia has not been a major economic giant in Africa compared to Western and European countries and China. Due to this historical truth, Africans have little interest in studying the Russian language and its culture. The Russian language itself does not sound attractive in terms of its economic opportunity and therefore Africans prefer to study languages that readily offer opportunities. Russia appears quite removed from Africa’s development issues, it is only mentioned in limited areas like weapons and military equipment supplies to French-speaking West Africa. China is making huge contributions in the continent and this has made Africans see the need to understand the language to have better interaction with them and sustain long-term friendship.
More comparably, the research indicates a greater number of Chinese Confucius Institute, an equivalent of Russkiy Mir, in Africa. Nowadays, China is being viewed as a strong strategic partner in Africa given its (China’s) strong footprints in diverse economic sectors. China has more than 20 Confucius Centers and a party school in Africa. Western and European countries, and Asians for example China consistently support civil society, youth programmes and women’s issues, – these are completely vacillating between points of hope and despair on Russia’s radar.
Russian authorities are struggling to find effective ways of marketing the country’s language abroad by establishing language centres, for instance in Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Nigeria and South Africa currently operating in Africa. Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and Mali have declared the Russian language as the second language, compulsorily to be studied in national schools and as an oriented strategy for consolidating cultural cooperation with Russia. It is also envisioned as overcoming social inequality and involvement of the young in sustainable economic development in those African countries.
In June 2001, the Russkiy Mir Foundation was created by a decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin to restore the Russian cultural image and promote the Russian language and its literature abroad, and its activities (operations) are financed under a special state budget allocation approved by the State Duma (lower house of parliament) and the Federation Council.
Chronicling reports on opening Russian language centres, in a couple of years (2021 to 2023), show the Russia House, the latest non-government organization, has now designed a large-scale educational project titled ‘Distant Russian in Africa’ which consists of free intensive Russian language courses and professional development seminars. Its co-organizers are the Institute of Russian Language and Culture (IRLAiK) of Moscow State University and the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Tanzania. Sources, however, indicate that Russian as a foreign language started last summer in Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Mauritius and Madagascar.
As Russkiy Mir reported, for teachers teaching Russian as a foreign language, Moscow State University usually holds training for educators from East African countries. It was also decided to hold a video conference in the field of tourism. But the point is that Russian authorities have to address the basic issue of running travel and exchange programs for Russian learners, increasing the number of foreign trips (alternatively referred to as study tours) including for Russian language learning purposes in the Russian Federation.
Observers suggest that Russia and Africa should have more and more youth exchanges. Representatives of African countries, as part of the New Generation programme, travel to Russia to participate in short-term programmes designed for young representatives from political, public, scientific and business circles to get acquainted with the people, the city landscape and interesting spots in the Russian Federation.
Generally, it’s time for Africans to create their solutions. Africans have waited for Russia’s pledges and promises, several agreements remain not implemented in the cultural and educational spheres. That’s true, as far as analysing contemporary relations between Russia and African countries. And of course, Africans could also take advantage of the contradictions in the geopolitical processes to pick up useful offers made available from foreign players. Long ago, Africans expressed complete readiness for facilitating practical work with Russia. And it’s time for Russia to Act. This sounds wonderful, right?
At the July plenary session in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin said “We propose the possibility of opening schools in Africa with a series of subjects taught in Russian. Implementing projects such as the study of Russian and introducing Russia’s high educational standards will create the best foundation for equal cooperation.”
According to Putin, in 28 African countries, a project has been launched to create open education centres to train teachers and educators in children’s preschool institutions, as well as primary and secondary schools. “To do this, we are planning to significantly increase the enrollment of African students in Russian pedagogical universities. We invite our African partners to join in this endeavour,” he indicated in his speech in late July 2023.
Nevertheless, we have to keep in mind that Africa has the fastest-growing population in the world. Over 50% of people living in Africa are under the age of 26. At the same time, offering this youth population modern technology in addition to the Russian language would be strategically contributing to the development of their entrepreneurship and leadership qualities, and simultaneously building unique bridges for future collaboration between Africa and Russia.
In conclusion, it is essential to remember to invest in establishing future partnerships. And Russian language could also give an additional dimension, show the roadmap to Africa, and determine the shift in geopolitical relations. Joint declarations, both in Sochi and St. Petersburg, suggested authorities would back away from utter reluctance approach…to take significant new steps forward as well as active engagement in meaningful cooperation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
One year after launching a continental initiative designed to make excellence in public governance the foundation of a new drive to transform Africa, LEAD, the Africa CEO Forum’s pan-African leadership programme, takes stock of its first cohort and announces the launch of its second class. Built around a community of senior public decision-makers committed to modernising the state and to the continent’s digital transformation, this new cohort gathers for three days, from 28 to 30 August 2026, on the campus of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Rabat, Morocco.
A second cohort that confirms the programme’s durability
For its second class, LEAD brings together 50 fellows, senior public decision-makers engaged in the design and implementation of the continent’s economic and social policies. Over three days, participants take part in collective and collaborative working sessions, peer exchanges and meetings with figures from the public, business and academic spheres, in order to compare their practices and build shared responses to the major challenges of governance.
Speakers include Mehdi Jomaa, former Head of Government of Tunisia, Donald Kaberuka, Managing Partner & Founder, SouthBridge Group, and former President of the African Development Bank, Serge Ekue, President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD), Sanjay Jain, co-creator of India Stack and Director of Digital Public Infrastructure, Gates Foundation, and Mauricio Cardenas, Professor of Professional Practice in Global Leadership, Columbia SIPA, and former Finance Minister of Colombia (2012-2018).
They share their reform experience, their public policy trade-offs and their view of continental priorities. Throughout the programme, the cohort benefits from the dedicated support of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Asafo & Co, BOAD, BCG and the African Development Bank, LEAD partners that have chosen to invest in the transformation of African public action.
LEAD, a pan-African community serving public action
Created by the AFRICA CEO FORUM, LEAD is a leadership programme whose ambition is to reposition Africa’s administrative elite as a driver of reform, of performance and of dialogue with all the continent’s stakeholders.
Designed for senior African public decision-makers, LEAD sets out to build a lasting community of public officials able to share their experience, compare their practices and build common solutions to the major economic, technological and institutional transformations under way in Africa. That community is structured around three pillars: modernizing the state, improving public services, and strengthening cooperation between governments, development institutions and private-sector players.
From fellows to alumni: a long-term initiative
Made up of 36 fellows drawn from a range of administrations and institutions and representing 24 countries across the continent, LEAD’s first cohort demonstrated the quality and the potential of this community from its very first year. In less than twelve months, six of its members have taken a significant step forward: two have been appointed ministers, two have moved into strategic positions at the highest level of the state and two have been promoted to chief executive roles. These moves, which account for 16.7% of the first class, show the role LEAD plays as an accelerator of impact within African administrations.
By bringing together a new cohort of fellows every year, each of them joining the LEAD alumni community, the initiative follows a long-term trajectory: in time, to unite several hundred African public decision-makers around a shared culture of transparency, performance and regional cooperation.
A first year devoted to public service and digital public infrastructure
Throughout the year, the fellows devoted their work to strengthening African public action, to make excellence in public governance a central lever of transformation. An awareness campaign, run as part of Africa Public Service Day, brought to light those who, within the continent’s administrations and institutions, are concretely transforming public policy and improving the services offered to citizens.
Members of the cohort also took part in a special round table held in Kigali during the ACF 2026, in order to carry their thinking to a wider community of public and private leaders. That forum reinforced LEAD’s role as a platform for dialogue between the administrative elite and the continent’s economic players. Digital public infrastructure (DPI) formed the main thread of this first year of work.
Discussions covered issues at the heart of the digital sovereignty of African states: digital identity, payments, secure data exchange, interoperability, governance and the protection of citizens. This work examined the conditions under which African states are developing, in some cases, and can develop, in others, shared, open infrastructure robust enough to improve the quality of public services while supporting local innovation and preserving the capacity of public authorities to set the rules of the game.
A white paper to move from consuming technology to creating value
This year of work concludes with the publication, in collaboration with BCG, LEAD’s Knowledge Partner, of a white paper on Africa’s place in the digital economy and in artificial intelligence. With the digital economy still accounting for around 5% of African GDP, against close to 15% worldwide, the paper calls on the continent to shift from a logic of technology consumption to one of value creation.
The white paper identifies three structuring priorities for African public actors:
- Building shared digital infrastructure that serves as the backbone of public services and private innovation.
- Pooling investment in order to reach critical mass and avoid the fragmentation of efforts across the continent.
- Favouring open and interoperable architectures, with trust and governance built in by design, so as to protect citizens while stimulating the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The white paper is available here to all public decision-makers, technical partners and institutions concerned.
“LEAD’s first cohort confirms a simple conviction: Africa already has the women and men capable of profoundly transforming public action. Our responsibility, either with our partners, is to give them, at pan-African level, a space in which to compare experience, build common solutions and bring forward a new generation of public policy. With this second cohort, we want to accelerate the move from ambition to execution, in particular on digital public infrastructure and artificial intelligence, two decisive issues for sovereignty, for the effectiveness of the state and for value creation across the continent,” says Amir Ben Yahmed, President of the Africa CEO Forum.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
Africa is set to make history as it hosts the World Public Summit for the first time, with Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, welcoming global leaders and changemakers from July 29–30, 2026, for the landmark gathering under the theme “New World: Africa in Shaping a Shared Future.”
The inaugural African edition of the World Public Summit marks a significant milestone in the continent’s growing role in shaping international dialogue on governance, sustainable development, human-centred leadership and global cooperation.
Hosted by the World Peoples Assembly in partnership with African and international organisations, the summit will convene government officials, diplomats, business leaders, academics, journalists, youth representatives, civil society organisations and cultural leaders from across Africa and around the world.
According to Andrey Belyaninov, General Secretary of the World Peoples Assembly, “the Summit is not just a meeting—it is a space for unity. A space where the ‘values that unite us’ come to life: respect for people, openness to the world, responsibility for the future, and a commitment to creation.
“Today, we understand more clearly than ever: the future cannot be built alone. It is born in dialogue, in trust, in the ability to listen to one another and to act together.”
The programme begins on July 29 with a series of high-level roundtables and expert discussions covering Pan-African economic integration, civil society, education, scientific cooperation, cultural diplomacy and humanitarian partnerships.
The opening plenary, “Values, Development and Partnership as the Basis of a Sustainable and Just World,” will explore how African values—including Ubuntu—can help shape a more inclusive and sustainable global future. Discussions will also focus on youth leadership, innovation, civil society, ethical AI, public initiatives and international partnerships.
The summit will also showcase Africa’s creativity and innovation through the “Innovations for the Future” exhibition, the contemporary African art exhibition “Unity,” and the international exhibition “The World Paints Happiness.”
Another featured initiative is “The Zambezi River: Economy, Society, Soul,” an international interdisciplinary project exploring the river’s socioeconomic importance across Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, highlighting the shared heritage and development potential of one of Africa’s most important waterways.
The event will conclude with the adoption of the African Communiqué, reflecting the summit’s shared vision for stronger international cooperation, sustainable development and people-centred leadership.
Tsegaye Chama, General Secretary of the Global Black Centre, promised that, “The Summit will be delivered with exceptional distinction, reflecting the magnitude and spirit of the World Peoples Assembly. It embodies a unity that is not transactional, but purposeful and conscious, a unity that shapes new contours for a world that works for all peoples of the World.”
As delegates prepare to arrive in Addis Ababa, anticipation continues to build for what promises to be one of Africa’s most significant international gatherings of 2026—one that will place the continent firmly at the centre of global conversations about the future.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria regained its position as Africa’s leading destination for equity startup investment in the first half of 2026, raising $214 million in equity financing and a total of $254 million across equity and debt, according to the latest Africa: The Big Deal report.
The report, titled H1 2026: Mapping the Money, showed that Nigeria ranked second on the continent in total funding, behind Egypt, which attracted $327 million, while Kenya and South Africa followed with $126 million and $83 million, respectively.
However, the report noted that Egypt’s top position was largely driven by a single fundraising by electric mobility company Spiro, which secured $327 million, including $270 million in equity and $57 million in debt. Excluding debt financing, Nigeria emerged as Africa’s largest equity funding market in the first six months of the year.
According to the breakdown by Africa: The Big Deal, Nigeria’s equity funding of $214 million was higher than Egypt’s $183 million, while South Africa and Kenya attracted $66 million and $46 million, respectively.
Beyond funding value, Nigeria also led the continent in the number of startups that raised at least $100,000 during the review period, reclaiming the top spot after what the report described as an “underwhelming” second half of 2025.
The publication observed that Nigeria’s fundraising performance has remained relatively stable over the past few years and exceeded the $250 million mark for the first time since 2022, pointing to renewed investor confidence in the country’s startup ecosystem.
It also found that while the Big Four startup markets—Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa—continued to dominate Africa’s investment landscape, their combined share of total funding stood at 58 per cent in the first half of 2026.
“Zooming back on the Big Four (110 out of 190 $100k+ deals, i.e. 58%), Nigeria is head and shoulders above its peers, with Egypt and Kenya almost tying, and South Africa in fourth position again,” the report noted.
The report highlighted contrasting performances among the continent’s largest startup ecosystems. While Nigeria and Egypt maintained strong funding momentum, Kenya recorded its weakest funding performance since early 2021 after a strong second half of 2025, and South Africa failed to attract $100 million in funding during the period despite leading the continent a year earlier.
Africa: The Big Deal also noted a broader shift in investor behaviour, with funding increasingly concentrated in larger transactions while early-stage investments continued to decline. According to the publication, the drop in smaller funding rounds reflects growing concerns about limited capital available for early-stage startups across Africa.
