Africa reaps dividends of modernization via FOCAC

Once dotted with dilapidated roads, limited railway lines, inadequate port facilities, isolated and underdeveloped regions due to poor connectivity, and unending power outages coupled with extreme poverty, today Africa boasts smoother roads, standard gauge railway lines, expanded modern ports and airports, as well as a growing economy, largely attributed to intensified Sino-African cooperation over the past two decades through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation platform.

Established 24 years ago, FOCAC has given life and shape to Africa with the impact trickling down to even the most remote areas of the continent. Over the past two decades, Chinese enterprises have built or upgraded more than 10,000 kilometers of railways in Africa, nearly 100,000 km of roads, nearly 1,000 bridges and 100 ports.

In September 2024, the FOCAC summit held in Beijing, painted a new picture for the joint China-Africa endeavors to achieve modernization for both sides, through intensified cooperation ranging from infrastructure, trade, security to digital economy and advanced technologies such as lunar exploration.

Dennis Munene, the executive director of the China-Africa Centre at the Africa Policy Institute, based in Nairobi, Kenya, said if Africa was still stuck with the old partners and ignored China, the continent would continue to struggle with poor infrastructure and increased poverty rates.

Munene said that Africa's claims that FOCAC and the Belt and Road Initiative have transformed the continent are backed by facts, noting that Africans are able to travel smoothly and enjoy continental integration, thanks to infrastructure development by China.

"I can access Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in less than 15 minutes, a journey that used to take almost two hours prior to the construction of an expressway. Today, my countrymen are enjoying safe travel by the standard gauge railway line from Nairobi to Mombasa, cutting the journey's duration by half," he said.

"If we hadn't looked East, there are things we would not have enjoyed as a continent. Today Ethiopians are enjoying a speed rail and Tanzania is in the process of finalizing hers, thanks to the FOCAC platform."

Munene expressed hope that one day, through FOCAC and other initiatives like the BRI, the entire continent will be connected by a standard gauge railway, easing transportation and facilitating intra-African trade.

"If we continue partnering with China, we will witness a lot of transformative projects that will help Africa to enjoy its resources," he said.

After FOCAC was established in 2000, he said Africa received an initiative that was more focused on its issues, such as development, peace, health, and industrial growth.

Munene said FOCAC has given rise to some of China's initiatives, the reason the continent has embraced the BRI quickly and confidently, as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

He said FOCAC has provided African countries with financial support that is flexible, sustainable and has no strings attached, aiding development of its infrastructure.

Unlike other similar platforms, Munene said FOCAC has action plans and a declaration after every summit. "It is not just an agenda or an initiative that is coming from China alone. It's an initiative that integrates what Africa wants," he said.

Mwangi Wachira, a former economist with the World Bank, said that in terms of development, many of the programs announced, presented or discussed at FOCAC, have been "standard setters".

"They have been the flagships of development in the participating countries," he said.

Wachira described the BRI as one of the most important projects for Africa alongside FOCAC, which has seen Africa transform its infrastructure, consequently facilitating trade, investment and integrating the continent into one huge market.

"If FOCAC remains focused on integrating Africa into one market, it will play a historic role in the development of the continent," he said.

Wachira said the unusual degree of honesty, the unusual degree of openness, and the unusual degree of consultations on the details of initially multilateral engagement sets FOCAC apart.

Wachira wishes that China could partner with Africa to have more of the green energy products made on the continent, noting that most of the minerals used to make the products are sourced from Africa.

"There is no reason why Kenya cannot produce vehicles in cooperation with Chinese companies such as BYD, which is already operating in some African countries," he said.

"Green energy is the wave of the future. It is what is going to save the world from self-annihilation from pollutants."