Beyond Aid and Fear: A Progressive Path to Africa’s Growth Resurgence

At the public presentation of the FES analysis, “Beyond Aid and Fear: A Progressive Path to Africa’s Growth Resurgence,” by Churchill Otieno and Aderonke Ige, one message stood out clearly: Africa must move beyond dependency narratives and fear-driven policy choices.

The event, organized by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Nigeria, brought together high-level stakeholders, including the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, represented by Mabel Aderonke, SSA on International Relations; officials from ECOWAS; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC); other government agencies; trade unions; civil society actors; academia and members of the media.

Discussions focused on the transformative potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the urgency of repositioning Africa within a rapidly evolving global landscape shaped by shifting trade regimes, geopolitical tensions, and changing aid architectures.

A few insights that resonated strongly:

• Africa is already operating in a “post-ODA epoch.” Aid is increasingly transactional and often tied to strategic interests rather than solidarity.
• Intra-African trade remains at just 14.8%—a stark contrast to over 50% in Asia and nearly 70% in Europe. AfCFTA is not optional; it is essential for scale and resilience.
• Moving from policy promises to implementation requires legislative reform, institutional capacity, and credible leadership.
• Regional integration must be people-centered—investing in youth, women, digital skills, and industrial growth.
• Sovereignty today means strategic autonomy: domestic resource mobilization, industrialization, and coordinated continental action aligned with Agenda 2063.

Participants emphasized that the continent’s growth resurgence will depend on strengthening regional integration, advancing industrialization, promoting intra-African trade, and building institutions capable of negotiating from a position of confidence and strategic clarity. 

The call was clear on African states and non-state rights-holders: seize this moment, build cohesion, and act deliberately.