The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has called on African nations to shift from aid dependency to becoming competitive hubs for global investment, trade, and industrial expansion. Delivering the pre-convocation lecture at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, on January 30, 2026, she urged the continent to reposition itself within the evolving global economic order.
Speaking on the theme, “Challenges and Opportunities for Africa and Nigeria in the Present Global Geopolitical and Geostrategic Context,” Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that Africa must stop approaching the world as a “supplicant for a shrinking pool of aid.” Instead, she argued, the continent should leverage its youthful population, vast natural resources, and expanding markets to drive global growth and resilience.
She noted that ongoing geopolitical disruptions have exposed the risks of overreliance on limited supply sources and markets. As countries diversify supply chains, Africa has an opportunity to attract investment in labour-intensive manufacturing, critical minerals processing, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, and agro-processing.
Highlighting renewable energy, she observed that while Africa holds about 60 percent of global solar potential, it attracts only 2 percent of global solar investment. She urged governments to improve the investment climate to encourage domestic manufacturing of solar and wind technologies, rather than relying solely on imports.
Okonjo-Iweala also underscored Africa’s demographic advantage, projecting that by 2050 the continent will account for roughly 25 percent of the world’s working-age population. Combined with abundant arable land and nearly 30 percent of global mineral reserves, she said Africa is well-positioned to build regional value chains powered by clean energy.
She concluded by urging leaders and citizens alike to act decisively, warning that the choices made today will determine whether Africa becomes a major global economic player or remains on the margins.
