Russia's Africa Strategy Faces Mixed Results Despite Bold Trade Goals
Russia has been working to strengthen its ties with African nations through trade, security, and political cooperation. In 2023, Moscow formalised its approach with the Action Plan for Africa, outlining goals up to 2026. Yet despite these efforts, progress has been slower than initially expected.
The strategy comes as several West African countries, including Nigeria, Mali, and Burkina Faso, have left the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2024, opening new opportunities for partnerships with Russia.
Russia's push to deepen relations with Africa began in 2019, when President Vladimir Putin set a target to double trade turnover to $40 billion within five years. This ambition was later reinforced in the 2023 Foreign Policy Concept, which highlighted Africa as a priority region.
The Action Plan for Africa, also introduced in 2023, focuses on pragmatic cooperation rather than the ideological ties of the Soviet era. Key areas include energy, infrastructure, and raw material extraction, though no specific new measures in these sectors have been reported since the plan's launch. Meanwhile, trade forecasts suggest that Russian-African commerce could at least double by 2030.
By 2025, Russia had already made gains in agricultural exports, particularly poultry, which saw a 3.5-fold increase to 15 African countries compared to 2024. Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, and Senegal remain Russia's main trade partners on the continent.
Politically, Russia and the African Union have agreed to expand collaboration in security, economics, and humanitarian issues. The shifting alliances in West Africa, following the ECOWAS withdrawals, may further encourage closer ties with Moscow in the coming years.
Russia's strategy in Africa combines economic expansion with political and security partnerships. While trade growth has been steady, particularly in agriculture, broader progress remains uneven. The coming years will show whether Moscow's long-term goals in the region can be fully realised.
