World
World Bank, IMF and Africa’s Development
By Professor Maurice Okoli
Amid heightened criticisms and intense debates over several significant global issues including new financial architecture, economic diversification, growing debts and reforms, the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, on October 15 wrapped up their week-long annual meetings held under the theme “Global Action, Global Impact” in Marrakesh, Morocco in North Africa.
With the rapid geopolitical changes, it featured prominently finance ministers and central bank governors from 190 countries in desperate search of comprehensive mechanisms and suitable approaches to address the prevailing economic crisis across the globe. The coordinated annual meetings also reviewed its scope of geographical operations with particular emphasis on Africa.
Fundamentally Africa’s key drawbacks mostly mentioned in all the discussions are related to the system of governance, official policies and strategies, and persistent conflicts. Due to the severity of threatening conflicts combined with worsening insecurity and ineffective policies, speakers at the annual meetings reviewed with circumspection the economic performance in Africa.
The importance of this annual meeting particularly for Africa need not be over-emphasized. Of course, the popular paradox is that Africa has huge untapped resources including rich deposits of strategic minerals, the population is growing and now stands at 1.4 billion providing the human capital and yet that region is engulfed with abject poverty, lack of industrial infrastructure and technology, while agriculture largely remains at the rudimentary stage. It is impossible not to notice on the political map of the world – it is located roughly in the centre of the globe just on the equator and its huge expanse of territory.
Economic Picture
The global financial system “is now outdated, dysfunctional and unjust,” said a New York Times opinion column jointly written by Kenyan President William Ruto, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, African Union Commission chairman Moussa Faki and Patrick Verkooijen, chief executive of the Global Commission on
Adaptation.
It’s outdated because international financial institutions “are too small and limited to fulfil their mandate. Dysfunctional because the system as a whole is too slow to respond to new challenges, such as climate change. And unjust because it discriminates against poor countries,” the leaders wrote.
Often lenders of last resort, the IMF and the World Bank use billions in loans and assistance to buoy struggling economies and encourage countries operating in deficit to implement reforms they say promote stability and economic growth.
During a panel session in Marrakech second week of October 2023, African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development called for key reforms during a meeting of the Africa High-Level Working Group on the Global Financial Architecture, coordinated by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). The ECA has the mandate
to promote the economic and social development of its member states, foster intra-regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa’s development.
Their position, among others, was to strengthen the African voice on the global stage. This resounding call emphasized the need for a quota formula to increase the number share for Africa. The meeting expressed support for the establishment of an additional chair to represent African countries at the IMF Executive Board to amplify the region’s voice and representation.
The meeting further underscored the importance of scaling up both concessional and non-concessional financing priorities of African countries, including regional integration, infrastructure development and structural transformation. Also, there was the proposal for temporal suspension of debt service and to pause debt service payments in the event of climate-related disasters.
At the opening ceremony, IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva in a speech stated that since 2020, successive economic shocks have led to the loss of $3.6 trillion of the global output, and that have pushed the IMF and the World Bank in hollowing for an enduring role in addressing the socio-economic challenges.
Fifty-seven per cent of the world’s poorest countries, home to about 30 per cent of the world’s population, will have to cut their public spending by $229 billion by 2029. Low and lower-middle-income countries will be forced to pay almost $500 million every day in interest and debt repayments from now until that year, according to her suggestion.
Role of the Financial Institutions
The African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Council of Europe Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the New Development Bank joined the World Bank in the collaboration agreement.
World Bank together with other nine multilateral development banks jointly seek to boost lending power to developing countries. These banks pledged to bolster collaboration in accelerating an appreciable, liveable world free of poverty. Under consideration is estimated $300 billion to $400 billion of additional lending capacity to help developing countries confront “a perfect storm of intertwined crises — from climate shocks and conflicts to pandemics and surging debt.”
They would also work to catalyze private-sector engagement. In addition, and as incorporated in the official document after the summit, the World Bank will be strengthening efforts to partner with the private sector, civil society, other multilateral institutions, and charitable organizations.
Some experts are of the view that the banks should also release emerging market data so private investors can better understand the actual risks and opportunities of investing in such markets. According to economic experts, exploring ways to directly increase the voice of emerging markets and developing countries in the IMF by adding another deputy managing director to represent emerging markets and low-income countries, and a third executive board chair representing sub-Saharan Africa.
“Working together for a common cause, we can bring more experience, expertise, knowledge, and, especially, more funding to the massive challenges facing the world today,” World Bank President Ajay Banga said. “Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts.”
In addition to improved analytical and diagnostic tools, including country climate and development reports, the multilateral banks have to work on principles for using concessional finance to target support for projects that address the challenges. Concessional finance involves loans at more generous terms than the market provides. The socio-cultural conditions should also form part of the decision-making process for extending these loans to accelerate private sector mobilization.
African States Struggling with Debts
International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva called for wealthy nations to provide more support to debt-saddled developing countries, and to better help vulnerable nations deal with poverty and climate change, as she opened the first IMF-World Bank meetings on African soil in 50 years. The global lenders traditionally hold their annual gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors outside their Washington headquarters every three years.
The IMF and World Bank last held their meetings in Africa in 1973, when Kenya hosted the event and some nations were still under colonial rule. Half a century later, the continent faces various challenges ranging from conflict to a series of military coups to unrelenting poverty to natural disasters.
“Bringing the meetings to Africa, again, is symbolically and substantively very important,” Georgieva said at a meeting with members of civil society organizations. She noted that the continent is wrestling with “remarkably similar” problems as 50 years ago, including high inflation and “political upheaval in many places”.
“Many countries are under a burden of debt that can crush them and we very, very much hope that the meetings would be a place to build more trust among nations. We all need each other,” she said and added that the IMF and World Bank need “more capacity” to support African countries that need help, including providing zero-interest loans on a larger scale.
In the final analysis, China has to be considered for an increase in a quota within the institutions and given more representation if it played an active role in debt relief for low-income countries. China has already considered some African countries for addressing issues of debt restructuring deals, for instance, Angola, Egypt, Nigeria, Zambia and a few others.
It was also the result of several direct consultations by the US Treasury Secretary Janet Louise Yellen and other officials, trying to pressure and coax China — the largest creditor to the developing world — into participating more readily in such agreements. There are also proposals to seriously look at ways to revive the effectiveness and monitoring of funds utilization on the continent. Expectations are high for a breakthrough.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is looking to extend his rule until 2030. And Egypt seeks to boost IMF loan to over $5 billion amid currency woes, according to the discussions made available on the government’s website. A mission from the IMF may visit Egypt to start the two reviews around the end of October. Egypt owes nearly $22 billion to
the IMF, according to Egypt’s central bank which I found during my research for this article.
With regards to Africa, the IMF and World Bank need to take into serious account the ‘cultural change’ to better mobilize private capital. The process of reforming its operations to better address climate change and other numerous challenges requires an endorsement of a new vision “to end poverty on a livable planet” and that is what its new president, Ajay Banga, was working to turn into reality.
Under the auspices of the African Union, African leaders have to collectively within the framework of “African Problems, African Solutions” in this changing world. While calling for reforms in international organizations, the African Union also needs an urgent overhaul to effectively and rationally address the continent’s security and development issues. Africa does not need any “global coalition of democracies” to fight violent extremist groups, especially in West Africa that have been spreading south from the Sahel region. It requires African continental and/or regional forces with external support rather than bilateral mechanisms.
Fresh Hopes for a Better Future
A new tool developed by the Center for Global Development (CGD), and launched to track reforms by the World Bank and the five biggest multilateral development banks (MDBs), shows that broad changes are “firmly in play” but progress in implementing them has been limited thus far. The new platform assesses progress being made on reforms, but at the same time, concludes progress in implementing the changes was “quite limited.”
The CGD researchers however lauded some steps taken – including the World Bank’s inclusion of the phrase “livable planet” in its mission statement, but said the development banks were still largely debating how to integrate global challenges into their operations and how to pay for them.
Anna Bjerde, the World Bank’s managing director for operations, said she had been at the bank for 27 years and had never felt such energy and momentum for changing course. “To make a change in the work we’re in will, of course, take time,” Bjerde said, noting decisions already made at the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank would boost financing and further steps were expected at the meeting in Morocco.
Critics have argued for years that MDBs manage their balance sheets too conservatively and could unlock significantly more capital without losing their AAA credit rating status. They said the reform discussion was also largely dominated by Northern Hemisphere voices and major emerging markets like China, India and Brazil, and it was crucial to include more MDB borrowing countries and address their goals and concerns.
“We have already seen notable progress in areas like raising lending limits and launching innovative finance programs,” former senior Treasury official Nancy Lee and other researchers wrote in a blog unveiling the tool. “Many reforms are still in the aspiration phase rather than the implementation phase.”
Axel Van Trostsenburg, Senior Managing Director, Development Policy and Partnership, World Bank, made known, during panel discussions, that the International Development Association (IDA), a World Bank subsidiary, is making available $70 billion of its $93 billion replenishing to Africa to support digital infrastructure and other developments.
In his idealistic view, physical-digital infrastructure needs to be developed and linked to the acceleration of the implementation and realization of the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA is purposefully created as a single borderless market for free movement of goods products, people and services across Africa.
And it is only through digital development that we see an incredible increase in economic growth under AfCFTA. In this case, there is the necessity to engage the African leadership. This also requires the adoption of a multi-set of approaches in helping countries with regulatory frameworks, setting up infrastructure and mobilising private sector finance for digital development.
Perhaps, this is the appropriate moment for Africa to be very objective while asking for feverish reforms, such steps must begin also at home. African leaders can hardly escape some responsibility for the present state of affairs, the level of economic development and existing social welfare for the people in Africa. The African Union and the Regional Economic blocs or associations have to watch their reflections in the mirror if their platforms have undergone valuable and effective reforms necessary to achieve their fundamental development goals across the continent, at least over the past decade.
Reading through reports, the African Union’s assessment of the multinational financial banks notes the possibility of scaling up adequate funds to grease commitments, as many African countries now face the reality of growing debts that in some cases threaten to destabilize their economies. That, however, financing development objectives would have to noticeably change the expected economic progress and the landscape of bad infrastructure across Africa.
In a symbolic move, the IMF and World Bank are poised to give Africa a third seat on their executive boards. The summit’s final report has offered irreversible practical hopes for Africa. That would be a testament to the resilience on the part of the African community. But still, the African Union and Regional Economic blocs and associations have to engage in discussing and reviewing the ultimate work of international financial institutions to stand ready to support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Professor Maurice Okoli is a fellow at the Institute for African Studies and the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences. He is also a fellow at the North-Eastern Federal University of Russia. He is an expert at the Roscongress Foundation and the Valdai Discussion Club.
As an academic researcher and economist with a keen interest in current geopolitical changes and the emerging world order, Maurice Okoli frequently contributes articles for publication in reputable media portals on different aspects of the interconnection between developing and developed countries, particularly in Asia, Africa and Europe. With comments and suggestions, he can be reached via email: markolconsult (at) gmail (dot) com
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Investors are interested in investing about $2.2 billion in the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Nigeria Phase II project.
This was recently facilitated by the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) at the Africa Investment Forum.
The initiative is expected to revolutionize Nigeria’s agricultural sector, as it will create agro-industrial hubs that drive productivity, enhance food security, raise living standards and create jobs.
Those interested in the project include Arise IIP, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Africa Export-Import Bank, Sahara Farms, BPI France, Africa50, and the US Development Finance Corporation.
They engaged the Nigerian government at a meeting on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
The SAPZ Nigeria Program is a country-wide government-enabled and private-sector-led investment program that will, (i) provide infrastructure for the establishment of agro-industrial zones, (ii) strengthen institutional capacity and business environment for agro-industrial development and (iii) support agricultural productivity, skills, and private investment across value chains.
SAPZs are established in areas with high agricultural production potential. They are provided with infrastructure, common services, and supported by policy incentives to integrate agricultural and industrial businesses. Through value-added manufacturing, they have the potential to trigger the long-delayed structural transformation that revitalizes rural areas, enhance food security, improve employment, and boost regional and international trade.
Phase I Nigerian States benefiting from the program are Cross River, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna, Kwara and Kano, and the Federal Capital Territory. SAPZ Nigeria Phase II is underway to expand to an additional 24 States in Nigeria in the next 3 years and will link Nigeria’s agriculture to agro-industrialization to drive economic growth.
The president of AfDB, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, said, “This is a defining moment for Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.”
“The Nigeria SAPZ II project will create millions of jobs, empower smallholder farmers, and position Nigeria as a leader in agro-industrialization. These investments exemplify the power of collaboration to achieve sustainable development in Africa,” he added.
The bank’s Director General for Nigeria, Mr Abdul Kamara, said, “I am pleased to see this whopping investment interest and commitments by our financing partners for Nigeria, at a time when the country is ramping up efforts to attract investments into the agriculture sector to address food security, create job opportunities and boost economic growth.”
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
Russia and Africa have moved one more step forward in their bilateral relations by establishing a cultural telebridge dedicated to the formation and development of the Museum of African Cultures in Moscow. The cultural telebridge between Russia and Africa was organized by the Russian-African Club of Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) with the support of the Secretariat of the “Russia-Africa Partnership Forum” under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
The telebridge was held on three main platforms – in Moscow (Russia), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), and Yaoundé (Cameroon), and included participants from Morocco, Guinea, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia, Burkina Faso, South Africa, and Egypt.
The main speakers of the telebridge included representatives of the ministries and cultural authorities of Russia and African countries, diplomats, museum specialists from Russia and Africa, private collectors, universities, NGOs, journalists, and members of the African diaspora.
The event was opened by Ilya Ilyin, Dean of the Faculty of Global Processes and First Vice-President of the Russian-African Club at MSU. He highlighted the topic of the telebridge on the development of the Museum of African Cultures which was deliberately chosen for discussion. The need to expand humanitarian cooperation with African countries was specifically emphasized at the second summit of the “Russia-Africa Partnership Forum” as well as at the Russia-Africa Ministerial Conference held in Sochi in November 2024. Work in this direction is being carried out in accordance with the priorities outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 30, 2020, under the “Priority Steps in Africa” decree. Among the key initiatives in the humanitarian field is the idea of creating the Museum of African Cultures, which will be the only museum outside of the African continent officially dedicated to African themes. The museum will be established at the renowned State Museum of Oriental Art.
Ilya Ilyin noted as a significant achievement the agreement to establish a branch of the Russian-African Club in Burkina Faso, and work on this initiative is ongoing. He expressed gratitude to Daniel Sawadogo, former cultural attaché of Burkina Faso’s Embassy in Russia, who participated in the telebridge, for his efforts in strengthening cooperation between Burkina Faso and Russia.
Ilyin reminded the audience that the year 2025 will mark the 270th anniversary of Moscow State University and the 220th anniversary of the Moscow Society of Naturalists, chaired by MSU Rector V.A. Sadovnichy. Additionally, in 2025, the Faculty of Global Processes of MSU will celebrate its 20th anniversary. The most significant event of 2025 will be the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. In this regard, the Dean proposed continuing the tradition of holding a memorial event involving Russian-African youth at Poklonnaya Gora, as was done in 2023 and 2024.
Tatiana Dovgalenko, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and head of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum spoke about the active work being carried out in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture of Russia, Rossotrudnichestvo, cultural institutions, and civil society circles in hosting thematic exhibitions, theatre festivals, cultural days, concerts, film screenings, and lectures in Africa. Significant projects are being implemented by the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS), the Inopraktika Foundation, and the Moscow Conservatory. These and other initiatives demonstrate the explosive interest of Africans in Russian culture. The demand among African students for creative education in Russia continues to grow. Today, citizens from 20 African countries are studying in Russian cultural universities.
The Museum of African Cultures will immerse the Russian audience in the richness of African culture and peoples. It will display the collected artefacts housed in Russia, primarily African art pieces from the State Museum of Oriental Art. This collection comprises more than 1,100 items and is continuously replenished through scientific research expeditions, temporary exhibitions, and private collections donated by prominent Russian Africanists. T.E. Dovgalenko expressed confidence in the museum’s role as a profound cultural bridge.
The museum will become a significant platform in Russia for hosting educational, cultural, and business events, implementing educational programs, and conducting scientific research in the field of African studies, as well as simply a space of creative power.
The lead moderator of the telebridge, Alexander Berdnikov, Executive Secretary of the Russia-Africa Club of Lomonosov Moscow State University, introduced the co-moderators from the Russian side – Louis Gouend, Ilya Shershnev, and Inga Koryagina. He emphasized that the opening of the Museum of African Cultures is a highly important issue for both Russian and African societies.
In his opinion, it is also critical during the telebridge to address the prospects of communication with African countries in the field of humanities, particularly related to museums. The speaker reminded attendees about the “Russia Calling!” forum held on 4th December in Moscow, during which Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia will develop new tools for advancing comprehensive cooperation with African countries. The Museum of African Cultures is one such new tool for collaboration in the humanitarian sphere.
The museum is being established as a multifunctional institution, also tasked with educational and expert goals, African studies training, and other functions.
Research Associate of the State Museum of Oriental Art and Africanist, Darya Vanyukova, emphasized at the beginning of her speech that no museum collection, no matter how large, can encompass the immense richness and diversity of the artistic culture of African countries. Therefore, as the expert noted, the idea of creating an exploratory museum must be approached honestly and openly. The speaker stressed the importance of developing long-term projects within the museum, which can serve as a foundation for a cultural program, allowing visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the African continent.
A key aspect of preparing for the museum’s opening involves creating a concept and designing the permanent exhibition. The expert shared plans for projects scheduled for 2025, including exhibitions dedicated to the Republic of Cameroon and the Republic of Mali. Vanyukova also mentioned that the Museum of Oriental Art’s team is counting on support from colleagues in African countries. She explained the museum’s plans to request artefacts from Russian and African museums for long-term storage, with a view to returning these valuable art pieces to their home countries once the established agreements expire.
Yuri Zaitsev, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo’s representative office in Tunisia, emphasized the importance of maintaining close ties with the African community and museum experts from the continent when establishing the museum. He expressed his hope that North Africa would be broadly represented in the museum. Additionally, Zaitsev offered comprehensive assistance and support from North African countries. He noted that the Russian House in Tunisia also supervises several countries without Rossotrudnichestvo representation, including Algeria, Libya, and Niger. This allows for facilitating communication with museum communities in those nations.
The expert proposed creating branches of the museum or exhibition complexes at VDNH or in other districts. He highlighted Tunisia’s rich historical heritage, including aspects that connect Tunisia and Russia, such as the history of the Russian Squadron and the work of artist Rubtsov, which, according to Zaitsev, should also be represented in the Museum of African Cultures.
Alla Stremovskaya, Associate Professor at the Department of Eastern Political Studies of the Faculty of Global Processes at Moscow State University, spoke about the role of museum diplomacy in international relations. She presented a report on online projects by key Russian museums. According to Stremovskaya, museum diplomacy is a form of cultural diplomacy that historically served as a strategic tool used by national governments to advance their foreign policy goals. Various countries have supported museum initiatives to disseminate their national values and ideas abroad.
Today, these functions are also fulfilled by museum online projects. Stremovskaya highlighted international online projects by the Russian Museum, the Hermitage, the Tretyakov Gallery, and the State Museum of Fine Arts. These projects combine a range of multimedia centre functions, including virtual tours, online lectures, and visits to exhibition compositions. She also mentioned major international museum online projects such as “European” and “Latino.” The expert stated that knowledge of these projects will help in creating a similar initiative for the new Museum of African Cultures.
Louis Gouend, Telebridge Moderator and Head of the Commission on Diaspora and Media Relations at the Russian-African Club of Moscow State University, expressed gratitude on behalf of the entire African community for the idea of establishing a Museum of African Cultures in Moscow, calling it a “cherished topic” for all Africans.
Gouend introduced the participating experts from the telebridge studios in Cameroon and Burkina Faso. The moderators for the telebridge in Cameroon were historian Professor Njock Nyobe Pascal, former Director of the Douala Maritime Museum, and Professor Jean-Baptiste Nzoge. The first speaker from Cameroon, Madame Rachel Mariembe, an expert in historical and cultural heritage, spoke about the work of the Douala Museum, whose collection is constantly being expanded, thanks to well-established connections with other museums, not only in Cameroon but also in other countries, as well as through collaboration with private museums.
Cameroonian museologist, Professor Michel Ndoh, expressed the opinion that the Museum of African Cultures in Moscow should represent a unique opportunity for Africans to establish strong ties with Russia. The success of the future museum in Moscow, according to the expert, depends on its programmatic policy.
The speaker highlighted that the primary mission of the museum should be showcasing Africa as a whole, while taking into account the uniqueness of each country on the continent. Africa itself must take the initiative and present its proposals, concluded Michel Ndoh.
His Majesty Mbombog Malet Ma Ndjami, Director General of the Palace of Culture and African Art, noted that a museum is a guardian of memory. According to the speaker, collaboration with Russia will provide the African continent with new opportunities to preserve its memory. Cameroonian museums were established following a model created in the 19th century, and it is from that period that the perspectives through which Africans view their memory — namely, Eurocentric perspectives — originate, noted the expert. He believes that cooperation with Russia will allow Africans to view their historical reality from a different perspective, through masterpieces of national African art. Africa shares a common memory with Russia, and together, we can embody this memory through museum partnerships.
Ndo, a museologist from Cameroon, considers the museum to be a lever for diplomacy. Diplomacy, he stated, is the interaction of all participants in the process. Therefore, the expert emphasized the importance of hearing from Russian colleagues about the specific types of support they expect from African specialists in the museum field. He proposed that mutual exchanges of conceptual ideas are crucial.
The telebridge was then passed to Burkina Faso, where the moderators were Moktar Sanfo, Director General of Culture and Arts (DGCA), and Sabari Christian Dao, Director General of the National Museum of Burkina Faso.
Christian Dao welcomed the participants of the telebridge and introduced his colleagues, gathered at the web studio in the National Museum of Burkina Faso, with a total of 20 people present. The speaker expressed collective excitement at the opening of the Museum of African Cultures in Moscow.
The first expert from Burkina Faso to speak was Juliette Congo, Director of the Women’s Museum in Kolgwendiese, founded in 2008. The Women’s Museum is a unique project as it not only showcases collections but also conducts educational programs. These initiatives highlight the role of women in African society and their contributions to national and cultural wealth. The museum houses collections dating back to the era of the Moro Kingdom, where women served as a ruling force.
Alassane Samura, Director of the Water Resources Museum, presented the concept of his museum, which is built on the idea that water permeates all of human history across all aspects of life; without water, there is no life. In Africa, where tremendous effort is often required to access water, people hold this natural resource in high regard. This is why the Water Museum was established. It features collections of ancient water storage containers and vessels, as well as tools for retrieving water.
Assane Romba, curator of the Georges Ouedraogo Museum of Music, described his museum as a “living place” where exhibits come to life. He spoke about the constant interaction with visitors through the universal language of music. The museum’s collection includes objects that serve sacred functions and are emblematic of Africa’s cultural heritage.
Sinali Djibo, Director of Exhibitions and Mediation at the National Museum of Burkina Faso, outlined the training of specialists in various areas of museum activities. The expert also shared his vision for organizing temporary exhibitions at the future Museum of African Cultures in Moscow. According to Djibo, such exhibitions must be accompanied by explanations for visitors, and he suggested using film as a tool for this purpose. He pointed out that this approach has already been implemented in Europe and parts of Africa.
Dr. Hoda Al-Saati, a representative of the Journalists’ Union of Alexandria (Egypt) and an active participant in cultural and historical events between Russia and Egypt, praised Russia’s efforts in preserving and developing the cultural heritage of African countries. She contrasted this with Western countries, which often regard Africa merely as a source of profit. The speaker supported the idea proposed by Russian and African colleagues that the museum should also function as an educational institution.
Swinni Driss, a representative of the National Museum of Morocco, spoke about the museum’s activities, and educational and cultural projects, in particular, the exhibition of postage stamps, which has become an interesting and popular event in the country.
Ernest Kpan, an expert from Côte d’Ivoire and head of the local branch of the International Council of Museums, believes that establishing a successful project requires defining the shared and fundamental foundations of the museum initiative. It is essential to know the budget allocated for the project and understand its base—both material and scientific. Another critical issue, according to the speaker, is the potential involvement of African specialists in the museum’s operations.
Tatyana Tudvaseva, President of the “Gatingo” Association and chief curator of the international art project “Africa’s World Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday,” stressed the need to include items of contemporary African art among the museum’s exhibits. The paintings of African artist-philosophers—singers of their culture and traditions—are filled with symbolism, meaningful ideas, and interest in human individuality and the surrounding nature. The speaker expressed confidence that these works of art would deeply move the Russian audience.
Moktar Sanfo, Director General for Culture and Arts and moderator in the webinar studio in Burkina Faso requested representatives of the Russian-African club to inform African colleagues about opportunities for advanced training at Moscow-based universities and the areas covered within this framework.
Suleiman Sedogo, President of the Association of Museum Professionals of Burkina Faso, stated that the primary goals of their organization are to improve the quality of museum practices in the country, develop new directions, and support collaboration between private museums and the state.
Daniel Sawadogo, former cultural and scientific advisor to the Embassy of Burkina Faso in the Russian Federation, emphasized the undeniable importance of this telebridge, which has become a significant platform for exchanging expert opinions and practical proposals between museum specialists in Russia and Africa.
Ali Degee, an expert from Burkina Faso and a graduate of a Soviet university, highlighted the exceptional importance of professional staff training in the museum field. The speaker expressed hope that such training would become accessible to the current young generation from African countries. For instance, graduates of museum studies courses organized in Burkina Faso could be sent to Russia for further education.
In conclusion, A.F. Berdnikov, the lead moderator, thanked all participants of the telebridge and noted that the event was productive and constructive. He supported the idea of making this telebridge format regular, as it would provide an excellent opportunity for the mutual exchange of proposals and concrete recommendations, not only for developing the Museum of African Cultures but also for fostering museum-sector cooperation between Russia and Africa as a whole.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Former President of Ghana, Mr John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has won a historic comeback election victory on Sunday as voters pushed out the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) over its management of economic crisis in the West African country.
NPP candidate and current Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia to incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo today conceded defeat in the weekend presidential election after failing to shake off widespread frustration over high costs of living.
Results showed that Mr Mahama won 56.3 per cent of the vote against 41.3 per cent for Bawumia.
Mr Mahama, who ruled as president from 2012-2017, will return to lead the country on his third attempt to reclaim the nation’s top post after falling short in 2016 and 2020 elections.
Ghana’s two main parties, the NPP and NDC, have alternated in power equally since the return to multi-party politics in 1992.
The country’s economic woes dominated the election after the continent’s top gold producer and the world’s second-largest cocoa exporter went through a crisis of default and currency devaluation, ending with a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Mr Mahama on his victory in the December 7 general election.
In a telephone call to Mr Mahama, President Tinubu hoped that Mahama’s ascension to power for the second time would further bring stability to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
According to a statement by presidential spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian President commended the people of Ghana for their commitment to democracy, which was demonstrated through the peaceful and successful conduct of both the presidential and parliamentary elections.
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