*Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye.
Nigeria has called for a new framework for global engagement with Africa, anchored on respect for national sovereignty, strategic autonomy, domestic resource mobilisation and investment in bankable infrastructure projects.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call at the Berlin Global Dialogue 2026, where he participated in a high-level panel on “Foreign Policy by Other Means: Trade, Technology, and Geopolitical Power,” as well as a Policy Lab on Infrastructure and Investment.
Enikanolaiye said Africa’s engagement with international partners must be guided by mutual respect, shared prosperity and a commitment to the continent’s development priorities.
He stressed that African countries must have the freedom to pursue their national interests while engaging constructively with global powers and economic blocs.
The minister described Nigeria’s approach as a doctrine of strategic autonomy, which, he said, enables the country to make independent decisions irrespective of the ideological leanings or political orientations of competing global blocs.
“It allows us a space of action regardless of ideology or political complexion of the various blocs to advance our own national interest, including those of Nigerian companies,” he said.
On Africa’s natural resources, Enikanolaiye called for an end to extractive economic arrangements that leave the continent exporting raw materials without fully benefiting from their value.
He advocated greater emphasis on local processing and beneficiation to ensure that African countries derive more economic value from their mineral resources.
According to him, the continent must also prioritise infrastructure development by identifying and advancing bankable projects capable of attracting sustainable investment.
He highlighted the importance of developing the technical expertise and skilled workforce needed to execute and maintain critical infrastructure, noting that financing alone would not be sufficient without the requisite human capacity.
The minister also drew attention to Africa’s economic growth prospects, citing an average gross domestic product growth rate of 4.3 per cent and the continent’s ambition to achieve seven per cent growth.
He called for reforms to the international credit rating system, arguing for a framework that better reflects African economic realities and supports the continent’s capacity to attract investment.
Enikanolaiye also welcomed the establishment of the African Credit Rating Agency as part of broader efforts to strengthen Africa’s financial architecture and improve its access to capital.
He urged international partners and African governments to mobilise long-term financing to support the continent’s development agenda, particularly in infrastructure and productive sectors.
The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to fiscal discipline, transparency, democracy and the rule of law, stressing the importance of these principles in building investor confidence and strengthening international partnerships.
His participation at the dialogue underscored Nigeria’s position that global partnerships with Africa should move beyond resource extraction towards mutually beneficial cooperation that promotes industrialisation, sustainable development and shared economic prosperity.