Botswana’s President Duma Boko calls for Africa-first trade terms after France’s Nairobi summit

Botswana’s President Duma Boko calls for Africa-first trade terms after France’s Nairobi summit
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Botswana President Duma Boko has urged African countries to pursue economic partnerships that prioritise the continent’s long-term interests, including value addition, as France expands trade engagement with African states.

In an interview with the BBC referenced in a report published by Pan African Visions, Boko said Africa must approach negotiations by advancing its own interests. “When we get to the negotiating table, we must pursue vigorously these initiatives,” he said.

The comments follow a France-Africa summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, which the report says was branded the Africa Forward Summit. The meeting brought together African political and business leaders and was presented as part of France’s efforts to deepen economic cooperation and diversify its partnerships across the continent.

The report notes that France has historically maintained close ties with francophone countries, particularly in West and Central Africa, but is now looking to broaden its economic partnerships. Analysts cited in the report link the shift to France’s declining political and economic influence in some former colonies amid growing anti-French sentiment in parts of the Sahel.

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According to the report, the Nairobi summit declaration listed 10 priorities, including value-added agriculture, resilient health systems, green industrialisation and energy transition, the blue economy, and digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced what the report described as a US$27 billion investment package for Africa. It included €14 billion from French public and private funds and €9 billion from African entities, with a focus on artificial intelligence, energy transition and agriculture. Macron was quoted saying he no longer wanted France to view Africa as a “backyard” where contracts were effectively guaranteed because of francophone ties.

Boko also emphasised the importance of intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), calling for trade corridors and greater flows of investment among African countries. He argued that some existing infrastructure networks were designed during the colonial era to extract raw materials rather than connect African markets.

On mining, the report says Boko used Botswana’s relationship with French uranium company Orano as an example of what he considers a better model, stressing beneficiation and a stronger role for producer countries in extraction and trade. He was quoted saying the partnership should not be about exporting raw uranium for pricing elsewhere.

The report also referenced challenges Orano has faced in Niger, including a 2025 announcement by authorities in Niamey of plans to nationalise a uranium mine operated by the company. The Nairobi summit discussions also included calls for reform of the international financial system, with the Nairobi Declaration urging changes to better reflect current global realities and support access to development financing.

While the developments are outside Zimbabwe, the themes of value addition, mineral beneficiation, and investment terms are closely watched across resource-rich provinces such as Mashonaland Central, where mining and industrial growth are regularly promoted as key drivers of local employment and development.

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