October 28, 2026 by Zainab Olufemi
Putin: Africa emerging as global power centre
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Africa is emerging as a major centre of global politics and the economy, calling for an end to colonial-era exploitation and greater technological and economic sovereignty for the continent.
He said Africa must be free to determine its development path and strengthen its influence in building a multipolar world.
Putin spoke at the plenary session with African leaders at the ongoing Russia-Africa Summit, where heads of state and government are discussing trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation.
“It is happening. Africa is becoming a major player in world politics and the global economy. Its sovereignty is getting stronger, its authority is also growing,” he said.
“Africans strive to protect their interests. They strive to determine their future and development path. And they seek to build a multipolar world,” he said.
The Russian leader accused Western powers of sustaining colonial practices through economic pressure, sanctions, tariffs, military conflicts and interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
“They still strive for a colonial paradigm when they manage to provide for themselves at the cost of others,” he said, alleging that some foreign powers continue to exploit Africa’s natural re
Putin cited the late former President of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara, who criticised economic dependence as a form of neo-colonialism, arguing that the practice persisted despite the end of formal colonial rule.
He said much of Africa’s infrastructure was developed during the colonial era to facilitate the extraction and export of raw materials rather than support local industrialisation and value addition.
He said Africa’s share of value addition in production remains below two per cent, while the continent’s annual global trade stands at about $1.5 trillion, with only 15 per cent of transactions taking place within Africa.
He, however, said the situation was changing as African countries intensified efforts to develop local industries and expand intra-African trade.
On economic cooperation, Putin said Russia-Africa trade had continued to grow despite Western sanctions and pressure on countries maintaining relations with Moscow.
“Last year our trade relations exceeded $27 billion, and in 2022 it was only $18 billion,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the trade volume could rise further, urging both sides to work towards surpassing $50 billion.
Putin also described Russia as an important partner in Africa’s food security, saying Russia supplied Russian fertilisers to more than 40 African countries.
He said Russia exported 13 million tonnes of agricultural products in the first nine months of 2026, with supplies to some countries increasing several times.
The Russian president said Moscow was prepared to go beyond supplying agricultural products and fertilisers by supporting technology transfer, establishing agricultural and industrial hubs, and implementing a comprehensive programme to develop Africa’s agricultural sector.
He said such cooperation would help African countries improve food production, strengthen food sovereignty and reduce dependence on external suppliers.
On mineral reca were involved in projects that cover the extraction and processing of natural re education
He listed hydropower, small nuclear reactors, and smaller power-generation facilities among the areas where Russia was willing to deepen cooperation with African countries.
He said Russia is implementing more than 30 energy projects across 16 African countries.
Putin said Africa could not only meet its domestic energy needs but also become an energy exporter if it developed its re
He also offered Russian expertise in water management, supply, and conservation, saying cooperation in the sector could support new projects across the continent.
The Russian leader further argued that modern sovereignty extended beyond territorial integrity to energy, transport, communications, cultural identity, and technological capacity.
He said advances in artificial intelligence, digital platforms and autonomous systems had made technological sovereignty essential to national security, data protection and economic development.
Putin claimed that Russia had developed its own large language models and digital platforms for banking, medical diagnostics and public services, adding that Moscow was ready to share its experience with African countries.
“Russia is ready to give our African friends high-quality solutions, as well as our digital experience,” he said.
To strengthen financial independence and shield bilateral transactions from external pressure, Putin proposed linking Russia’s Financial Messaging System (SPFS) with Africa’s payment system.
He said the arrangement could cut transaction costs and boost financial cooperation, particularly for African countries without their own payment systems.
On health cooperation, Putin said eight African countries had received 15 mobile laboratories, while joint epidemic-response training programmes had been conducted in Ethiopia and Uganda. He added that related programmes would continue until 2029.
On education, he said about 40,000 Africans were studying in Russia, and Moscow had allocated 5,500 scholarship places for African students for the 2027-2028 academic year.
Putin also announced the establishment of the Network University of Russia-Africa, bringing together more than 70 universities from 17 African countries.
He said Russia had established 58 centres for teaching the Russian language in 29 African countries and proposed creating a Russian African Youth Union to strengthen cultural and educational exchanges.
The Russian president said the initiatives reflected Moscow’s commitment to expanding cooperation with African countries across trade, agriculture, energy, healthcare, education and technology.
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