Investment Project Development Program in the Interests of Africa’s Sovereignty was discussed at the Roscongress International Cooperation Area at SPIEF 2026
The session brought together Russian and African stakeholders involved in the investment agenda, including representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Russian state development corporation VEB.RF, Afreximbank, as well as senior officials from relevant ministries and state agencies in Mauritania, Tanzania, and Côte d'Ivoire. Andrey Maslov, Director of the HSE Center for African Studies, moderated the session.
The central topic of the discussion was investment in sovereignty. African countries are increasingly moving away from the outdated approach of attracting foreign investment at any cost and toward development models in which domestic investment serves as the primary driver of growth. These new development models require a fundamentally higher level of project design and implementation. Participants discussed the conditions necessary to transform national development priorities into concrete investment projects, as well as the requirements for their effective preparation and structuring.
Andrey Maslov presented the Russia-Africa Investment Hub, an expert and analytical platform developed by the HSE Center for African Studies. The Center’s experts already provide analytical support for the preparation, structuring, and promotion of investment projects aimed at strengthening African sovereignty.
«Our goal is to present, in the lead-up to the Russia–Africa Summit, a high-quality portfolio of projects in Africa that would be attractive to Russian investors, enabling them to continue working together with African partners, institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and development corporations. We have already received more than 40 concrete project proposals from our African partners and are ready to assist in bringing these projects to a form that is clear and appealing to Russian investors», said Andrey Maslov.
Tatiana Dovgalenko, Director of the Department of Partnership with Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, welcomed the participants. In her remarks, she emphasized Russia’s readiness to share its experience in strengthening economic sovereignty and to implement joint projects with African countries.
«Speaking about sovereignty and all its components – economic, technological, energy, and food – Africa needs reliable partners for its development. Our country is one such partner. If in the middle of the last century we helped in the national liberation struggle and the formation of statehood, today we are ready for joint, equal and mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation with Africa, and ready to share the modern experience accumulated by Russia and the instruments of sovereignty», said Tatiana Dovgalenko.
Daniil Algulyan, Deputy Chairman of VEB.RF, emphasised the important role of expert and analytical work in advancing cooperation between Russia and African countries.
«The first step toward moving to concrete projects is information as a key factor in business decision-making. The more information you have, the broader your opportunities to take concrete steps. At present, economic actors involved in Russian–African economic interaction lack precisely this information. Therefore, initiatives such as the Russia–Africa Investment Hub are an undeniable benefit», he noted.
From the African side, among the participants of the session were Abdallahi Souleymane Cheikh Sidiya, Minister of Economic Affairs and Development of Mauritania; Gilead J. Teri, Director General of Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA); Kudakwashe Matereke, Regional Operations Director for Anglophone West Africa at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank); Nana Emmanuel Mbafong, Head of the Cooperation with Emerging Countries Division at the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development of the Republic of Cameroon; and Laurent Bomisso, Head of the Service, Investment Promotion Centre of Cote d'Ivoire.
«When we discuss the development of investments in our country, Russian enterprises certainly make a good contribution to it. We have just unveiled vision for the 2050 – our roadmap for the next 25 years. It is a big mission, and we have to expand our economy at at least 10 times. We believe that this is something that can be done in partnership with other countries», noted Gilead J. Teri.
Kudakwashe Matereke of Afreximbank commented on opportunities for Russian investors in Africa:
«We are firmly convinced that infrastructure investments in Africa are rapidly moving from concept to implementation. This process is driven by the need to support intra-African trade, as well as the enormous market potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Investments in rail and road infrastructure, ports, ICT infrastructure, and the processing industry open up significant opportunities for Russian contractors, investors, and equipment suppliers», said Kudakwashe Matereke of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
«The "African Investment Hub" has become a logical continuation of forums that the Roscongress Foundation, together with Russian and foreign partners, successfully co-organized earlier this year in Namibia and Tanzania. The current session is undoubtedly an important element in preparing the agenda for the upcoming Russia–Africa Summit. We are especially pleased that the Roscongress Foundation’s international platform Roscongress International hosted this session and brought together such a distinguished lineup of speakers – high-level practitioners from both Russia and African countries. The Roscongress Foundation consistently pays special attention to African projects and will continue to provide comprehensive support to such significant initiatives», said Alexandra Ogneva, Deputy CEO, Head of International and Regional Cooperation Directorate, Roscongress Foundation.