2025 has been a momentous year for Africa and the rest of the world. We have seen the tremors of a changing world order, and with the US dollar's once-unquestionable hegemony beginning to show signs of weakness, in its shadow is the undeniable, resilient rise of African trade and ambition. Joining Pan-African Frequency, Nguetobaye Massengar Rongar, an ambassador for the international movement on financial security, discusses the growth of African trade and the weakness of the US dollar in the outgoing year. He dissected and revealed how African central banks are seizing this historic window for autonomy and laid out a bold, practical blueprint for a future built on pan-African systems, strategic partnerships, and relentless self-determination.
“I think 2025 proves something fundamental. Africa's economic strength derives not from community super cycles or Western capital inflows, but from domestic institutional reforms and deliberate economic diversification. This is a profound realization. The outperformance was clear. 44 African economies grew faster than the 3% global average. With continental growth at 4%. This was led by East Africa with 6% and West Africa with 4%, though Southern Africa led at 2.2%. Crucially, discipline in monetary policy proved transformative[...] Looking back at 2025, I believe Africa's most important milestones weren't just about growth numbers. They were about proving our resilience comes from within [...] 2026 will not be about what happens to Africa, but about the choices Africa makes for itself. My deepest wish is that the continent sees this decisive year to look to a future of self-directed transformation, shared prosperity, and a better future for all,” the expert expressed.
Parallel to the economic battlefield is a struggle for legal and moral sovereignty. The recent US sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) judges—over investigations involving a non-signatory like the US—show that international institutions often reflect the power of their creators, not the principle of universal justice. Sputnik Africa engaged Dr. Chidochashe Nyere, a postdoctoral fellow at the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, to dissect this hypocrisy and chart a path forward.
“Now, the Rome Statute: America is a non-member but still has unwarranted power over almost many countries; it still has asymmetrical power [...] if you look at cases that have been brought to the ICC and the cases that have been successfully prosecuted, they involved African leaders; when it came to European leaders, nothing much seems to happen [...] The issue of why I propose an African institution that has to do with Africa, that has to be controlled by Africans, is such that we avoid the political targeting that is based on race [...] the politics of race; this is what we are against as Africans. For far too long, we have been ignored; for far too long, we have been dismissed. And this script cannot continue unabated. It is up to us Africans to challenge that. And the only way to challenge it is to be in charge of our own narrative, to be in charge of all our own institutions, to be charged of our all economy,” Nyere indicated.
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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