How Russia Helps Africa in Rebooting its Energy, Partnerships, and Transit Systems
How Russia Helps Africa in Rebooting its Energy, Partnerships, and Transit Systems
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A strategic shift is underway as Ethiopia's strategic energy ambition, Madagascar's foreign partnership intentions, and the e-mobility push for African cities reveal Africa is moving from resource dependency to becoming a strategic power player.
Ethopia’s Strategic Move Towards Energy Sovereignty
Following the recently signed historic nuclear energy agreement with Russia, Ethiopia’s foreign minister, Gedion Timothewos, gave a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow. In response to a question from Sputnik Africa correspondent during his joint press conference with Lavrov, the Ethiopian Foreign Minister highlighted several key points of the recent agreement with Russia regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant.
“The agreement we have signed recently for the construction of a nuclear power plant is a huge milestone both in terms of the relationship between the two countries and also in introducing this kind of technology to sub-Saharan African countries. We hope to enhance Ethiopia's leading position as a net energy exporter in our region. Right now, with the completion of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Ethiopia is exporting energy to its neighbors like Kenya, Djibouti, and Sudan. And we would like to continue in this line and use our energy exports to promote regional integration and cooperation in the Horn of Africa. Furthermore, we hope that the energy would generate from the nuclear power plant and other energy projects that we have right now would enhance Ethiopia's drive for industrialization and modernization. And it will also position us as a leader in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, which we believe are very critical for the African continent going forward,” Timothewos indicated.
Madagascar's New President Demands "Win-Win" Partnerships
In an exclusive interview with Sputnik Africa, the new president of Madagascar, Michael Randrianirina, unveils priorities for the country's recovery in the aftermath of the recent massive protests that broke out in the country.
“What we’re going to do is find partners—partners who work with us, who will work with us in a win-win manner. What we want is a total break with what we did before. A break with what happened before. A break with the past [...] This is the moment when Madagascar needs the support and assistance of the international community. We are ready to engage with them, to move forward hand in hand with the international community,” the president noted.
Writing a New Code for African Transit Industry
At the African E-Mobility Week, in Ethiopia, Sputnik Africa engaged with Adepoju Fowkan, Nigeria Transport Authority public operation management specialist at Lagos Metropolitan Area, to discuss how the shift to e-mobility could redefine African cities.
“Basically, what [African] nations need to do is to actually reduce all the bureaucracy that is within the implementation of their policies as regards free mobility. First and foremost, also uniform tariff across the board should also be introduced [...] Africans should be able to move to any African country with ease [...] collaboration from each of inter-countries should be pronounced [...] we don't need to go to international communities to borrow any money. Let's be sincere with ourselves; we don't need to. The banking industry, the local banking industry, can raise this crowdfunding,” Fowkan pointed out.
This episode also features:
Alain Duflot, a French lawyer specializing in European and international law
Tune in to listen to the full conversation with our guests on the Pan African Frequency podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
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