Johannesburg, South Africa – African countries should approach Russia as a collective to negotiate better trade agreements, attract investment and advance energy security, journalist and political analyst Adekunle Owolabi has said ahead of the third Russia Africa Summit scheduled for Moscow on 28 and 29 October 2026.
Speaking on Channel Africa, the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s international radio service, on Monday, 19 October, Owolabi told broadcaster Mmatsheko Mosito that African governments needed to diversify their international partnerships rather than rely heavily on established relationships with major powers such as the United States and China.
The Editor of The African Daily said the summit offered African countries an opportunity to negotiate practical agreements covering energy, agriculture, infrastructure, technology and industrial development, with the ultimate goal of generating measurable economic benefits for their citizens.
Owolabi, an award nominated journalist, political analyst and digital strategist specialising in international diplomacy, argued that African countries should engage Russia according to their national interests while carefully assessing the financial and economic implications of proposed agreements.
“Africa actually should diversify their interests and so you cannot just align with the likes of the United States or China. You are allowed to engage with the likes of your Russia or Saudi or anyone. So there’s no law that says a country shouldn’t engage with each other,” he said.
He acknowledged the challenges posed by international sanctions against Russia, as well as the political controversies surrounding its ongoing war in Ukraine, but maintained that these should not automatically prevent African countries from pursuing mutually beneficial commercial relationships.
Collective bargaining could strengthen Africa’s position
Owolabi said African governments could improve their negotiating position by working through the African Union (AU) and regional economic communities instead of approaching Russia exclusively as individual countries.
He explained that countries with different financial capacities could benefit from combining their interests to secure more favourable prices, financing arrangements and repayment conditions.
Using Nigeria and smaller West African countries as examples, he said Nigeria’s population, natural resources and financial capacity could help strengthen negotiations if it pursued agreements alongside regional partners.
He pointed to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and regional financial institutions as potential mechanisms for supporting joint projects.
“A country like Nigeria for example, Nigeria does have the financial strength, the population, the resources. A country like Togo, Benin might not have such. But if Nigeria goes with Equcas to approach Russia with a deal, it’s usually easier,” he said, referring to ECOWAS.
He also identified regional banks as possible sources of co-financing for infrastructure and development initiatives, arguing that collective negotiations could make large projects more affordable for participating countries.
Owolabi named Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa among Russia’s important African trading partners, while noting that commercial engagement extended to other countries, including Nigeria.
He said Nigeria and Russia had common interests in energy and agriculture, particularly in the supply of fertilisers and wheat, and suggested that Russian technical expertise could help Nigeria address persistent electricity challenges.
“If the cost is too much in another country, if you get a better deal with Russia, why not? In the end, we are doing business and looking at areas of collaboration,” he said.
He added that African governments should evaluate proposed partnerships on their commercial merits rather than assume that foreign investment would necessarily result in the exploitation of local resources.
Energy security central to industrial growth
Energy cooperation is expected to feature prominently at the Moscow summit, with Owolabi arguing that affordable and reliable power is essential if African countries are to expand manufacturing, develop infrastructure and create employment.
He cited Russia’s involvement in Egypt’s El Dabaa nuclear power plant project as an example of cooperation in the energy sector.
He also pointed to existing energy relationships between Mozambique and South Africa, noting that African countries needed to consider a wider range of suppliers and financing arrangements to meet their growing electricity and industrial requirements.
“Energy is something that it’s an integral part of our life. We buy fuel, we switch on our light, we eat, we need heat during winter and we just need energy to power industrialisation,” he said.
Owolabi argued that Africa’s industrial ambitions would remain difficult to achieve without sufficient energy supplies, particularly as countries seek to process more of their raw materials locally instead of exporting them without substantial value addition.
He said Namibia’s planned engagement with Russia was worth watching, particularly in relation to trade and energy cooperation.
The journalist also raised the possibility of African countries negotiating bulk purchasing arrangements to reduce the cost of energy imports and other essential commodities.
However, he acknowledged that financial transactions with Russia had become more complicated because of sanctions affecting payment systems and financial technology services.
He said these restrictions had created difficulties for businesses attempting to make payments, although some countries continued to explore alternative arrangements to maintain commercial ties.
According to Owolabi, Russia Africa trade was estimated at between US$25 billion and US$30 billion, with Moscow seeking to expand the value of its commercial relationships across the continent.
He said countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community (EAC) and ECOWAS could benefit from closer economic cooperation, even when some of their members were not directly represented at the summit.
Owolabi also noted that an energy exporters forum was expected to form part of the wider engagement, creating an opportunity to discuss the future of oil and gas markets, the growth of electric vehicles and the long term implications of technological change for energy demand.
He said the summit should produce identifiable commercial outcomes rather than remain an occasion for diplomatic courtesies.
“We looking at deals and businesses and trade between Russia and rest of the continent,” he said, adding that African countries should assess the agreements signed and determine what they would deliver to their economies.
Africa must protect its economic interests
Beyond trade negotiations, Owolabi called for a more deliberate approach to Africa’s international relationships, saying governments should engage different global partners without becoming dependent on a single country or economic bloc.
He argued that relations with Russia should not prevent African countries from doing business with China, the United States or other international partners.
For him, the central question was whether the partnerships could deliver practical benefits in areas such as electricity generation, agriculture, technology transfer, infrastructure and employment.
He also urged African governments to improve the way they communicate their economic opportunities to international investors, arguing that persistent negative perceptions could discourage investment before potential partners had properly assessed individual markets.
“Africa needs to be intentional about its growth and no one is going to do it for us,” he said.
Owolabi said African countries had made progress in sectors including entertainment, technology, education and entrepreneurship, but that these achievements often received less attention than the continent’s political and economic difficulties.
He cited Nigeria’s technology companies, fashion industry, Nollywood film sector and Afrobeats music, alongside South Africa’s amapiano music movement and education sector, as examples of African industries gaining wider recognition.
He said stronger storytelling could help investors identify opportunities while also allowing governments and businesses to address weaknesses that might otherwise remain overlooked.
The journalist encouraged African entrepreneurs and institutions to explore available development financing, including support for energy and agriculture projects, rather than waiting for external organisations to initiate investment.
African media urged to tell the continent’s stories
During a separate discussion on Channel Africa’s Journal Africa programme, Mosito spoke to Owolabi about the role of journalism in shaping international perceptions of African countries and the challenges facing media organisations across the continent.
Owolabi said his work in journalism, digital strategy and media development had increasingly focused on helping African newsrooms report stories that reflected the continent’s economic opportunities, cultural diversity and development experiences.
He said Africa continued to depend heavily on international media organisations to shape perceptions of its countries, sometimes resulting in coverage that failed to capture developments on the ground.
Using Eswatini as an example, Owolabi argued that international reporting about the Kingdom had often concentrated on controversy while giving insufficient attention to local developments and achievements.
He referred to coverage surrounding King Mswati III’s birthday celebrations, claiming that reporting circulated through international news services did not adequately reflect the broader events and developments he had witnessed while in the country.
He also cited the opening of the International Convention Centre and the hosting of major African Union related engagements as examples of developments that deserved wider coverage.
Owolabi said local media organisations, including the Times of Eswatini, the Eswatini Observer and Independent News Eswatini, had an important role to play in strengthening digital journalism and providing audiences with a broader understanding of the Kingdom.
His work, he said, also extended to Nigeria, where he saw a need for stronger community focused journalism.
He explained that international and national coverage of some Nigerian communities often concentrated on kidnapping, banditry and insecurity, leaving limited space for reporting on agriculture, businesses, investment opportunities and everyday community life.
He said journalists needed additional training, professional development and sustainable funding to expand this type of reporting.
Owolabi also called on governments and private sector organisations to support media development, arguing that limited resources and poor remuneration continued to affect journalists in many African countries.
He warned that financial pressures on traditional media were contributing to job losses while unverified websites, fabricated stories and misleading online content continued to spread.
Although he recognised the contribution of citizen journalism, he said the changing media environment required journalists to maintain professional standards and develop the skills needed to work effectively with new technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The African Daily promotes a progressive African narrative
Discussing the development of The African Daily, Owolabi said the publication grew from The African Daily Post before being rebranded as TheAfricanDaily.com, with a focus on providing coverage of developments across North, West, East, Central and Southern Africa.
He said the platform sought to offer readers a wider understanding of the continent by reporting on investment opportunities, bilateral relations, business developments and initiatives that could contribute to economic growth.
“Africa is a work in progress. But if we focus too much on the negativity, the issues that we have, we’re not going to be able to look at how we can move forward,” he said.
Owolabi explained that his approach did not mean ignoring the continent’s challenges, but rather ensuring that reporting also examined progress, potential solutions and opportunities for cooperation.
He recalled speaking to a banker who was reluctant to invest in an African country despite never having visited it, saying the decision was based on perceptions rather than direct experience.
He said such attitudes demonstrated how incomplete or inaccurate narratives could influence investment decisions and limit economic opportunities.
“You don’t have an opinion but you’re entitled to an informed opinion,” Owolabi said, arguing that investors should gather reliable information and understand local conditions before making decisions about African markets.
He said The African Daily aimed to provide that broader perspective by covering developments across the continent and working with organisations interested in communicating their activities and opportunities to wider audiences.
Owolabi also praised Channel Africa for its contribution to African journalism, saying the broadcaster played an important role in bringing stories from across the continent to international audiences.
Eswatini’s culture and tourism deserve wider recognition
During the interview, Owolabi also spoke about his experiences in Eswatini, describing the country’s cultural traditions, landscape and tourism attractions as important parts of its identity.
The Nigerian journalist said the Kingdom’s hospitality and strong cultural roots had left a lasting impression on him.
He referred to traditional celebrations, including Buganu and Incwala, as well as the country’s distinctive fashion, food, hills and mountains.
Owolabi said Eswatini offered visitors a range of attractions, including game drives, nature experiences, national parks and cultural festivals.
He mentioned Hlane Royal National Park, the Bushfire festival and the Luju festival among the attractions that could help draw visitors to the Kingdom.
He also pointed to cooperation between Eswatini and South Africa, including cultural exchanges and the participation of South African theatre practitioners in activities linked to the October International Theatre Festival.
Owolabi encouraged people in neighbouring countries to visit Eswatini and experience its attractions for themselves, arguing that direct engagement could help challenge misconceptions and strengthen regional connections.
The discussions on Channel Africa formed part of a wider conversation about African diplomacy, economic cooperation, media development and the importance of giving the continent greater control over how its countries and people are represented internationally.
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