Former Ekiti State governor and Visiting Professor at King’s College London, Kayode Fayemi, has called for a far-reaching overhaul of Africa’s economic engagement with Western nations, urging leaders across the continent to push for a fairer, value-driven partnership that prioritises industrialisation, local value addition, and shared prosperity.
Fayemi made the call while presenting a paper titled “Africa–West Relations at a Turning Point: Interests, Agency, and a New Bargain” at a closed high-level session of African leaders during the Africa–Europe Strategic Dialogue held at the Sandton Convention Centre over the weekend.
He argued that Africa must move beyond its traditional role as a supplier of raw materials and instead negotiate agreements that prioritise local processing, industrialisation, and technology transfer.
According to him, “any new partnership framework must be anchored on industrialisation, local processing and technology transfer,” stressing that such a shift is not anti-Western but rooted in sound economic principles historically applied by developed nations.
Fayemi, a former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, warned that Africa risks repeating past mistakes if it fails to assert control over its vast mineral wealth amid the global transition to clean energy.
He noted that key resources such as cobalt, lithium, manganese, coltan, and copper – critical to green technologies – are largely found in Africa, cautioning that exporting them in raw form would mirror the continent’s experience during the oil boom with limited long-term gains.
“The world cannot go green without first going African,” he said, urging leaders to ensure that Africa benefits fully from the emerging clean energy economy.
Highlighting demographic trends, Fayemi said Africa’s growing population presents a strategic advantage in global negotiations.
He projected that by 2050, one in four people globally will be African, positioning the continent as a major driver of economic growth if its human capital is properly developed.
He however criticised what he described as a long-standing paternalistic approach in Africa-West relations where policies affecting the continent are often shaped externally.
He added that existing global trade systems have historically discouraged local manufacturing through restrictive policies and financial constraints.
Despite these concerns, Fayemi acknowledged ongoing efforts by some European partners to foster more balanced relations, referencing initiatives such as the European Union’s Global Gateway Strategy aimed at strengthening cooperation with Africa.
He proposed key reforms including sovereign debt restructuring, improved access to development finance, fair labour migration policies, deeper technology partnerships, and transparent security collaboration.
On digital transformation, Fayemi warned that Africa must not remain a passive consumer of global innovation, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, which are reshaping global productivity.
He also called for a more honest global conversation on migration, noting that prevailing narratives about African migration to Europe are often inconsistent with available data.
Fayemi concluded by stressing that Africa’s push for a fairer global deal must be matched by internal reforms, including stronger institutions, rule of law, gender inclusion, and youth empowerment.
“Weak institutions and exclusion carry economic costs and weaken our negotiating position. A new global bargain must go hand in hand with a renewed social contract with our own citizens,” he said.
Gbenga Sodeinde
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