Irina Abramova, Director of the Institute for African Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke to Sputnik Africa during a press conference about how Russia can contribute to successful industrialization on the continent.
Abramova acknowledged that "industrialization does not happen by itself." She emphasized the need for a strategic approach, drawing parallels to the Soviet Union's territorial production complexes, which integrated resource availability, infrastructure, and skilled labor.
Abramova suggested collaborative industrial projects between Russia and Africa, leveraging resources and building large-scale energy infrastructure, including nuclear power plants, to address energy deficits.
"There are [...] countries where, for example, the construction of a nuclear power plant could provide electricity to several neighboring countries at once," she concluded.
The Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences is the leading academic research institution in Russia for African studies and one of the most prestigious international organizations in this field. It was established in October 1959, just before the end of the colonial era.