The Looming Threat of U.S. Tariffs

New tariffs imposed by the United States are poised to create meaningful economic turbulence across the African continent, potentially impacting 47 of its 54 nations. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Advancement Bank Group, warns that these measures could trigger widespread economic disruptions and force a strategic realignment of global partnerships.

The core concern revolves around the potential decline in export revenues and foreign exchange reserves for African nations. This economic pressure is further compounded by cuts to USAID programs, which are already affecting access to essential medical supplies and humanitarian services.

Currency Weakness and Debt Burdens

The weakening of African currencies, a direct result of these trade policies, presents a dual challenge:

• Inflation: Most of these countries are import-dependent. So, your going to find that high inflation becomes a problem, Dr. adesina explained.
• Debt Servicing: The cost of actually servicing a lot of their debt, which is foreign currency debt, but in local currencies, is going to get worse.

Reports indicate that nearly all African countries have been affected by the tariffs, wiht at least 22 nations facing tariffs as high as 50% on a wide range of products. Among the hardest-hit are Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Botswana, Angola, Algeria, and South Africa.

Africa’s Strategic Response: A Three-Pronged Approach

Despite the potential for economic disruption, Dr.Adesina emphasizes that a trade war with the U.S. is not a viable option. Africa’s trade with the U.S. represents a small fraction of America’s global trade, accounting for only 1.2% (approximately $34 billion), with a trade surplus of just $7.2 billion.

Rather, Dr. Adesina proposes a pragmatic three-point strategy:

• engage: Pursue flexible and constructive trade negotiations with the U.S.
• Diversify: Reduce dependency on any single partner by diversifying export markets.
• implement: Accelerate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to unlock a potential $3.4 trillion market.

He also stressed the importance of expanding Africa’s domestic market, boosting domestic savings, and leveraging its growing population. Furthermore, he highlighted the need to capitalize on increasing external interest in Africa’s natural resources, such as cobalt and lithium, to negotiate more favorable trade and investment deals.

Building Bridges, Not Walls: Africa’s Global Partnerships

Addressing concerns about a potential shift towards China, Dr.Adesina dismissed the notion of exclusive alignment. U.S is a key ally of Africa–and so is China, he stated.Africa is building bridges,not isolating itself.

africa seeks balanced, transparent, and mutually beneficial partnerships with all major global players, including the U.S., China, the European Union, and the gulf states.

I think at the end of the day, we want to make sure that whatever deals that are being done with Africa are transparent, fair, equitable, and led by Africa and in Africa’s interests.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group

beyond Aid: driving Self-Reliance

Dr. Adesina, nearing the end of his tenure as president of the Bank, firmly rejects the conventional model of foreign aid dependency. The era of aid as we’ve known it is completely gone, he declared, advocating for bold investments in domestic resource mobilization, infrastructure, and value-added industrialization.

He proposes transforming aid into concessional financing, enabling multilateral financial institutions like the African Development Bank to mobilize more private capital for development projects.

Africa’s Growth Narrative: Resilience and Transformation

While Africa represents nearly 20% of the global population and under 3% of global GDP, Dr.Adesina emphasizes a resilient and transformative growth narrative: ten of the world’s twenty fastest-growing economies are located in Africa.

He highlighted the African Development Bank’s “high 5” agenda, which has impacted over 565 million people through investments in:

• Power
• food Security
• Industrialization
• Regional Integration
• Improving the Quality of life

Over the past decade, the African Development Bank has invested more than $55 billion in infrastructure to bolster economic integration across africa, alongside othre critical investments to drive inclusive growth. It is by far the largest financier of infrastructure across Africa.

Key Initiatives: Powering and Connecting Africa

Dr. Adesina also highlighted the potential of the Mission 300 project,a joint initiative by the World Bank and the African Development Bank to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030.

Because without electricity, what can you do? You can’t industrialize, you can’t add value, you can’t be competitive in the dark.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group

He also emphasized the achievements of the Africa Investment Forum, launched in 2018, which has mobilized more than $225 billion in investment interest to the continent.The Forum advances projects to bankable stages, raises capital, and accelerates deals to financial closure.

Africa: The Investor’s Dream

Despite its challenges, Dr. Adesina believes that Africa is the largest greenfield investment destination in the world, and it remains the investor’s dream.

We got hydropower. We have a massive youth population that can become the labor force of the world. Sixty-five percent of the arable land left in the world to feed almost 9.5 billion people by 2050 is in Africa, so what Africa does with it will determine the future of food in the world.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina,President of the African Development Bank Group