Co-Authored article:
Africa’s influence on the world stage is growing. Not only does the continent play an increasing diplomatic role in the Ukraine war; its membership of, and participation in, multilateral forums such as the G20 and BRICS is growing, and it demands a place in the UN Security Council.
Amid the global scramble for influence, and in another sign of Africa’s new-found importance, the continent has recently received a flurry of high-level visitors.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Chinese and Russian foreign ministers Qin Gang and Sergei Lavrov, have all visited Africa during the past year.
This focus on youth development is strategic in nature: Africa has the world’s youngest population, a demographic trend that will shape global economics and politics in the coming decades.