By Ntombi Mhlongo
African countries are now eager to enter into partnerships with the global world on condition that it’s a win-win for all.
This was evident during a forum organised by the French Council of Investors in Africa (CIAN) in Paris on Tuesday which was themed ‘Time for a new deal with Africa’.
The call for win-win partnerships is motivated by the fact that the African continent is a major supplier of energy to the European Union and has many raw materials and rare metals that are essential to the energy transition and are highly sought after around the world.
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AfricaNews reported that Anthony Nkinzo Kamole, Director General of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) National Investment Agency submitted the forum that global development will not happen without the continent.
“Today, when you look at coltan, and all the derivatives that are behind it, we can only talk about the DRC. And I also mentioned phosphate and potash. Today, these are extremely important elements in the DRC and this proves that it is key to Africa. The future of the world is playing out in Africa and the future of Africa is in the DRC,” he was quoted as having said.
He is said to have also mentioned that industrialisation is an essential pillar of African development and that to achieve this goal, the DRC is banking on its Industrialisation Master Plan whose aim is to revive the sector by focusing on three key areas.
In Senegal, it was highlighted at the forum, the government wants to create the best business conditions for companies.
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“For several years now, we have been reforming the business environment, and we are among the best reformers in Africa. This means that all the conditions are met for investment and given the great demand and excellent prospects for Senegal, we have the intention to organise an international forum on investment in July, called Invest in Senegal,” a representative from Senegal submitted.
He explained that this will be an opportunity to take stock of the situation but above all, to identify new prospects for both the public and private sectors.
Delegates from Niger, Chad, and the Congo who were in attendance are said to have all agreed on one point: the need for a paradigm shift, essential to ensure local production and a better redistribution of wealth.
