Is Aligning with BRICS a Game Changer for Propelling The African Agenda?
Is Aligning with BRICS a Game Changer for Propelling The African Agenda?
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With the growing influence of the BRICS bloc and the immense opportunities it offers, this episode explores what Africa stands to gain by aligning with the partnership. We also hear from a Nigerian visual artist who shares his insights on preserving cultural relevance in the arts in an increasingly globalized world.
Currently, there are three African countries members - South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia, two partner countries - Nigeria and Uganda represented in the BRICS bloc and more countries from the continent have expressed interest in joining and partnering with the group as Western dominance wanes on the continent.
In an insightful conversation with Pan-African Frequency, Dr. Yitena Gebre Mamo, Multilateral Affairs Research Director General at the Institute of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia explores the multipolar vision of the BRICS group to promote local currencies, infrastructure investment, Global South cooperation as Africa’s leverage to strengthen its finance and development sovereignty.
“BRICS countries want to promote African energy projects, such as renewable energy plant, oil and gas pipeline, electricity [….]. The other focus is digital infrastructure. As you said before, the financial system, the government system, the currency requires a digital format. That digital format requires its own infrastructure. BRICS aims to work to facilitate the digitalization to build a digital infrastructure in Africa, such as fiber optics, data centers, mobile communication centers, all these areas that should be developed, want to be developed by the BRICS. [....]. The other focus area is industry, because Asian and African countries have huge, untapped natural resources [...]. All these programs are also the agenda of the African Union. The African Union also focus on to promote energy digitalization at the same time industry that you can see the agenda of 2063. So, the African agenda and the agenda of the BRICS are almost similar or have a common alignment,” the expert illuminated
This episode also features Yusuf Durodola, a Yoruba artist from Nigeria and previous Guinness World record holder for the largest painting by number. He discussed with Sputnik Africa about why he feels compelled to express his culture through his art. For him, it is important to preserve the unique traditions and culture in which these arts are embedded.
“Artists should go into their roots and tap from their roots and project it, because when there's no direction or identity from your work, then your work is just passive, there is no meaning to your work because people cannot trace that this is your true identity. So as artists, we need to take from our culture and project it, that is the only way we can retain what belongs to us,” he emphasized.
Also sharing his impressions of Russia, the visual artist expressed his amazement at the country’s stunning landscapes and picturesque scenery.
“The use of space, either you have a small space or you have a wide space. The way they engage with the space and make people to navigate the space is very impressive. You cross from one side to another side without even being stressed. And you begin to move on the road and engage yourself with activities. I love the fact that they embedded art into the space. There is no space you get to, that you don't see art. And that takes stress from you because you begin to engage with so many things. If you look here, you see art, if you look at the other side, you'll see art too. And as I said, the moment you remove art from you, you are just empty. So for them to make art become really strongly connected to the space and their culture, I really love that. And I love their use of color. The use of color here is harmonized. When you are moving on the street, you see, very calm colors. You won't see that very sharp contrast that will take you away, to show this space is different from this space. No, it blends together. And that is to show that they think in a broad way to see everybody is involved in the communal engagement,” the visual artist expressed.
To find out what else our guest had to say, tune in to the Pan-African podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
