Kenyan President William Ruto has urged global powers to change their approach towards Africa, saying the continent should be treated as an equal partner in development rather than a recipient of aid and charity.
Addressing leaders at the G7 Summit in France, Ruto said Africa was moving away from a dependency relationship and seeking partnerships built on mutual benefit, sovereign equality and shared prosperity.
“For too long, Africa has been seen through the lens of need, with its risks overstated and opportunities understated,” Ruto said, arguing that the continent’s future should no longer be shaped without its participation.
Representing Africa at the summit, the Kenyan leader called for a new global partnership model based on investment, trade and cooperation rather than aid alone.
“We seek neither dependency nor alignment. We seek partnership. We seek a new paradigm, not hierarchy, but sovereign equality,” he said.
Ruto also challenged perceptions about Africa’s economic potential, noting that the continent has significant financial resources but faces barriers in accessing affordable capital needed to drive development.
He called on G7 countries to support reforms that would unlock African investments, including stronger risk-sharing mechanisms and support for institutions such as the African Trade and Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI).
According to Ruto, African countries hold more than $1 trillion in assets through banks, pension funds, insurers and reserves, but require better financial systems to mobilise these resources for development.
“Africa is not a problem to be solved. Africa is an opportunity to be harnessed,” he said.
The Kenyan president also called for fairer global financial arrangements, arguing that African countries continue to face higher borrowing costs due to risk assessments that do not reflect their economic fundamentals.
The G7 Summit brought together leaders from the world’s leading industrial economies and partner countries to discuss investment, global economic cooperation, climate change, technology and security.
Ruto’s remarks come as African leaders continue pushing for a greater role in global decision-making, increased investment flows and reforms to international financial institutions.
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