World
Russia-Africa B2B Forum and Expo 2024 — Made in Africa

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
The first international Russia-Africa B2B business forum and expo 2024 — Made in Africa — took place on October 16th. Organized by the Russia-Africa Club of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, the Patrice Lumumba People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), the African Business Club, and the Russian Foundation for Peace, the forum aimed to open new horizons for cooperation between Russia and African countries.
The forum was attended by representatives of government bodies, businesses, and state corporations from Russia and Africa. The forum was truly nationwide, with representatives from Russian businesses in Tula, Yaroslavl, Khabarovsk Krai, Tyumen Oblast, Mordovia, Yekaterinburg, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Kazan, St. Petersburg, Naberezhnye Chelny, and other regions.
The forum opened with a plenary session moderated by Luis Gouwend, Chairman of the Commission on Work with African Diasporas of the Russia-Africa Club of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, and Inna Vitalyevna Andronova, Doctor of Economics, Professor, and Dean of the Faculty of Economics of RUDN.
The following speakers addressed the participants with welcoming speeches:
- Dmitry Ilyich Suchkov, Head of the Department of Pan-African Issues and Regional Organizations of the African Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, who read a welcoming speech from Anatoly Gennadievich Bashkin, Director of the Department of Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
- Violetta Nikolaevna Medvedeva, Chairman of the Board of the Moscow Regional Branch of the Russian Foundation for Peace, who read a welcoming speech from Leonid Eduardovich Slutsky, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs.
- Andrey Georgievich Dorokhin, Head of the Department of Foreign Trade Analytics and Relations with International Organizations of the Department of Foreign Economic and International Relations of the City of Moscow.
- Alexander Fedorovich Berdnikov, Executive Secretary of the Russia-Africa Club of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov.
During the plenary session, Russian and African entrepreneurs shared insights on doing business in Africa and Russia, highlighting the most attractive areas for investment and trade, as well as existing support mechanisms.
Speakers from the Russian side included:
- Vitaly Andreevich Stepanov, General Director of the ANO “Moscow Export Center,” who spoke about the city of Moscow’s cooperation with African countries and the opportunities for exporters to receive support.
- Andrey Vladimirovich Severilov, Member of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Logistics and Supply Chains, and President of A7 Holding, presented an analysis of the existing infrastructure and outlined key areas for optimizing goods transportation.
- Yegor Alexandrovich Ivankov, Chairman of the Commission on the Development of Creative Industries on the Council for Financial and Industrial and Investment Policy of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, spoke about support measures for strengthening Russian-African cooperation.
- Marina Yuryevna Nesterenko, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Leasing of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation on Financial and Industrial and Investment Policy and Editor-in-Chief of the “Banking Business” magazine, presented current financial instruments for trade with African countries.
- Alexey Evgenievich Podenok, President of the Moscow Association of Entrepreneurs, spoke about accelerating and reducing the cost of delivering Russian export goods to countries in East and South Africa using the North-South International Transport Corridor.
- Andrey Sergeevich Gromov, Member of the Board of Directors of AREA and Founder of the GR-Group consulting agency, presented new solutions in the energy sector for comprehensive development of relations between Russia and Africa.
Speakers from the African side included:
- Marie Caroline Ngo Tovada, General Director of Kindak Advys Sarl (Cameroon), who spoke about “MADE IN AFRICA” products and their potential appeal to the Russian market.
Following the plenary session, forum guests participated in the opening of business and cultural exhibitions featuring more than ten countries from the African continent. The exhibition of African goods showcased agricultural, cosmetic, souvenir, and tourism industries.
Next, as part of a panel discussion, a section titled “Informal Dialogue Russia-Africa: What Can We Offer Each Other” was held, where Russian and African companies presented themselves, their products, and areas of activity.
Following this, a large number of B2B meetings took place on the sidelines of the forum between representatives of Russian and African business circles.
Several contracts for the supply of products from Africa to Russia are being prepared for signing as a result of the forum.
The event received positive feedback from participants. Plans are underway to make the forum annual and expand the B2B meeting program to several days.
The forum concluded with a concert of African music and a screening of African cinema at the Engineering Corps of the Tretyakov Gallery.
Quotes:
From the address of Anatoly Gennadievich Bashkin, Director of the Department of Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, to the participants of the “Russia-Africa Expo 2024” forum:
“Russia, as a country with solid potential and sufficient competencies in various areas of the economy, modern technologies, is ready to share its experience, knowledge, and expertise with its African friends, to carry out mutually beneficial trade interactions,” he noted. “We fully support the aspirations of Africans to strengthen economic sovereignty.”
Anatoly Gennadievich Bashkin noted that Africa is a dynamically developing region with enormous growth potential, an attractive internal market, and an expanding export potential. “In recent years, it [the African continent] has been confidently strengthening its international authority, increasingly asserting itself as an influential participant in global politics in one of the centers of the emerging multipolar world order,” the director of the department added.
“Considering all these factors, it is quite natural that our country attaches great importance to building long-term and mutually beneficial partnerships with Africa, with which it has much in common – from traditions of joint anti-colonial struggle to a similar vision of many key issues of our time, and, importantly, a commitment to common basic values,” Bashkin concluded.
World
Irvine, Dreaminfluence Accelerate Growth of Africa’s $3bn Creator Economy

Irvine Partners, a leading creative communications agency with offices in Africa and Europe, has signed an exclusive licence with Dreaminfluence as their Africa partner. Dreaminfluence, an all-in-one platform that empowers brands to build and scale influencer marketing has executed 1,000s of influencer campaigns and worked with over 20,000 influencers.
This innovative platform’s digital capabilities will support the content creators who are driving Africa’s rapidly expanding $3.08 billion creator economy. Despite creators on the continent taking advantage of platforms like TikTok, African creators still earn significantly less than their counterparts in other regions, despite producing high-quality content. Furthermore, infrastructure limitations and a digital skills gap hinder the progress of the creator ecosystem.
Monetization should not be out of reach for African creators says Rachel Irvine, CEO of Irvine Partners. She adds that “Dreaminfluence provides digital infrastructure and connects creators to brands, backing their work so they too can unlock opportunities while brands can grow their reach with authentic content that resonates with audiences.”
Dreaminfluence CEO, Mads Wedderkopp, explains “We have worked with many leading brands in the Nordics and are excited to finally bring our platform to Africa through this exclusive partnership with Irvine Partners.”
“The decision to work with Irvine Partners as our Africa partner was a no-brainer, given the roster of clients they serve, and their continental and European footprint.”
Some of the leading brands that use Dreaminfluence for their influencer campaigns are Nivea, L’Occitane, and Estee Lauder Group.
How it works
Dreaminfluence was founded in 2018, to transform influencer marketing from being about affiliate links and discount codes to focusing on actual brand ambassadorship. This vision is translated into the features that Dreaminfluence offers, for both brands and influencers.
These brand features include:
-
Discovery of influencers: Brands can find the right influencers for their campaigns, without wasting time on influencer outreach
-
Campaign analytics: Track campaign performance, report the value and identify the best-performing influencers
-
Building relationships: Influencers move from short-term brand campaigns to long-term brand ambassadorship
-
Campaign management: Manage influencer payments, product shipping and secure content usage rights
-
Paying multiple influencers at a time with one click
For influencers, the features are:
-
Apply to join a brand team or campaign through the app
-
Be selected as part of the ambassador team
-
Join new campaigns when they are published
-
Run all campaign admin including payments, content ideas, and approvals through the app
The Dreaminfluence difference
Irvine Partners is constantly working with influencers across Africa on different campaigns for its clients and Dreaminfluence provides an innovative way to streamline agency relations with leading and emerging content creators on the continent.
Mohale Moloi, Content Director at Irvine Partners explains that “creator marketing studies tell us that more than 50% of brands plan to increase their spending on influencer marketing in 2025. But making sure these campaigns deliver results across the whole marketing funnel requires an in-depth understanding of market nuances, which is what we bring to the table.”
By working with a dynamic platform like Dreaminfluence, Irvine Partners will take influencer campaigns to the next level by combining local insights with a platform that makes everything from campaign selection to payments more efficient.
“We are most excited about the actionable campaign data and high ROI that Dreaminfluence offers,” says Moloi.
World
Cameroonian Diaspora Congress: An Essential Vector for Cameroon’s Influence in Russia

By Louis Gouend
The Cameroonian diaspora in the Russian Federation, although relatively recent, constitutes an essential vector for Cameroon’s influence and the maintenance of strong ties with the nation. In this perspective, and following a fruitful video conference on January 27, 2024, with the Minister of Youth and Civic Education, it was decided to organize, on February 8 and 11, 2025, the first celebration of Youth Day within the Russian diaspora.
This unprecedented initiative, benefiting from the Minister’s valuable support, aimed to consolidate patriotism and the spirit of initiative among Cameroonian youth residing in Russia, by offering a framework for exchange and promotion of Cameroonian cultural wealth. It mobilized Cameroonian students, young professionals, and entrepreneurs established in Russian territory.
The commemoration of the 59th anniversary of Cameroon’s Youth Day took the form of a dual celebration: a physical meeting at the Cameroonian Embassy in Moscow on February 8, 2025, and a virtual meeting on Zoom on February 11, 2025. These events brought together a total of more than 150 participants from over 50 cities in Russia, representing diverse backgrounds, including presidents of Cameroonian associations, members of the Diaspocam executive council, deans, honorary guests, and embassy officials.
The diaspora had the honour of welcoming, via video conference, Mr Mounouna Foutsou, Minister of Youth and Civic Education, whose encouragement and vision were a source of inspiration. The Minister outlined the productive initiatives implemented by the Cameroonian government in favour of its youth in the diaspora in Russia, emphasizing the willingness to support projects led by young entrepreneurs through a specific support mechanism and the operationalization of the guarantee fund.
During his address, the Minister recalled the commitments made during the video conference of January 27, 2024, emphasizing the need for increased collaboration between the government and the youth of the diaspora. He stressed the immense potential represented by this youth and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing their concerns.
Among the initiatives put in place to support the youth of the diaspora, he mentioned:
- The Guarantee Fund for Young Entrepreneurs (FOGAJEUNE), which finances projects in four key sectors (agriculture, digital economy, industry/crafts and technological innovation).
- The special DIALYJ window, designed to promote co-ventures between young people from Cameroon and the diaspora.
- The Program to Aid the Return and Integration of Young People from the Diaspora (PARIJEDI), which facilitates the return and integration of young people in Cameroon.
“We express our deep gratitude to the Cameroonian government and personally to Minister Mounouna Foutsou for their support of our initiative,” said the President of Diaspocam, Louis Gouend. “Thanks to their assistance and the support of the Cameroonian Embassy in Russia, we were able to organize this important event, which has strengthened ties between the diaspora and Cameroon.”
Aware of the positive impact of this first celebration, we hope that this innovative initiative will be included in the calendar of activities of the Ministry of Youth and Civic Education for the years to come.
Diaspocam establishes a legal platform to come together, helps each other, interacts and establishes viable strategic networks and partnerships; presents, shares and expands proven diaspora business models; promotes and assists businesses and investments in Cameroon.
It strengthens a good image of Cameroon in Russia while maintaining close liaison with the Cameroonian and Russian governments and any other representative body pursuing objectives similar to those of the Association. Cameroonian Diaspora in the Russian Federation is a public organization which encourages participation, representation, diversity and cooperation between Cameroon, African diaspora and Russian society.
World
African Union Launches Credit Rating Agency to Rival Fitch, Others

By Adedapo Adesanya
The African Union has announced the launch of its rating agency, the African Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) to provide accurate ratings for countries on the continent.
According to Kenya’s President, Mr William Ruto, while unveiling the new agency at an AU event held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday, AfCRA will address biases by global rating firms.
Global firms like Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor (S&P) are some of the ratings agency which provide insights into African countries to aid investors and stakeholders.
There have been criticisms that these ratings lead to higher borrowing costs for African countries and make it harder for them to access international financial markets.
“Global credit rating agencies have not only dealt us a bad hand, they have also deliberately failed Africa,” Mr Ruto stated during the launch.
“They rely on flawed models, outdated assumptions, and systemic bias, painting an unfair picture of our economies and leading to distorted ratings, exaggerated risks, and unjustifiably high borrowing costs.”
According to President Ruto, improving Africa’s rating by one notch could unlock $15.5 billion in additional funding for the continent, which could help replace a significant portion of official development assistance or be invested in Africa’s infrastructure needs.
Despite Africa’s abundant natural wealth, only two African nations are currently ranked as investment grade.
“It is time for Africa to use the right scale, one that reflects its true weight,” Mr Ruto added.
The African Union has previously criticized global rating agencies’ characterization of African economies. In January, the AU pointed out that Moody’s Ratings’ fluctuating assessment of Kenya’s outlook was flawed.
“As the continent continues its march towards economic integration and resilience, the establishment of the African Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) represents a pivotal step in asserting Africa’s position on global financial governance.”
The agency aims to provide fair, transparent, and development-focused credit ratings that reflect the realities and potential of African economies.
The idea comes more than a year since the AU officially announced its plans to move forward with the project since September 2023.
The push for an African credit rating agency became viable in 2022 when Senegal’s former president Macky Sall, then the chairman of the AU, called for a new system to “end the injustices” faced by African countries.
-
Feature/OPED5 years ago
Davos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz2 years ago
Estranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years ago
Sort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years ago
Subsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking2 years ago
First Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports2 years ago
Highest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn
-
Technology4 years ago
How To Link Your MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile Lines to NIN