Red has always been one of my favourite colours. There’s something about it that reminds me of courage, the courage to show up fully, to speak honestly, and to keep building even when the answers are not clear.
Courage is what Africa needs now more than ever, not only at the level of our governments and institutions but also across the private sector, civil society, and innovation ecosystems. Because while the tectonic plates of global power are shifting, the ground under our feet is shifting faster still.
Last week, I explored how Africa’s future is being reshaped by competing global interests and new development paradigms from Washington, London, and Brussels. This week’s headlines make one thing clear: traditional aid is no longer the defining lever for Africa’s growth; partnerships are.
“That means creating financing vehicles that blend profit with purpose and catalytic funds to unlock capital for health systems, climate resilience, and digital transformation.”
A global reset on development
Across the U.S., U.K., and EU, we’re watching a profound reset in the global development model, and its ripple effects are being felt everywhere.
In Washington, the legal battles over U.S. foreign aid are a reminder of how political shifts can abruptly change funding flows. Stability is no longer guaranteed, and development actors are learning to navigate uncertainty as the new normal.
In London, the UK is scaling back its aid commitments and pivoting from traditional grants toward investment-driven models, a shift with major implications for how partnerships are structured across Africa.
In Brussels, the EU’s bold “Global Gateway” strategy aims to mobilise up to €300 billion in investments between 2021 and 2027, a clear marker of how the bloc is redefining its role in global development, not only as a donor but also as a strategic, investment-driven actor.
What does this mean for Africa? That the old paradigm, where development largely flowed through donor-funded programmes alone, is giving way to a model built on mutual value creation, strategic alliances, and long-term resilience.
This shift is not inherently negative. In fact, for Africa it presents an opportunity if we are bold enough to seize it.
From beneficiaries to co-architects
With the expiration of AGOA scheduled for September 30, 2025, Africa finds itself at a critical juncture. In Lesotho, a cornerstone of AGOA’s success whose garment sector employs roughly 30,000 mostly female workers, the threat to jobs is real and immediate. Madagascar, home to some 180,000 textile workers, is looking at similar risks. Experts warn that 12,000 to 20,000 jobs could vanish if this trade preference lapses, a reminder that the end of AGOA is not simply a policy shift but a socio-economic warning bell.
This moment calls for courage to move from being beneficiaries of development frameworks designed elsewhere to becoming co-architects of new ones.
That means three things:
Negotiating from strength
Africa is entering a new era of global engagement, one where fragmentation and reactivity are no longer options. Mechanisms like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) give us unprecedented collective bargaining power. We must use it to shape agreements that advance African priorities, not just align with global agendas.
Blending capital and impact
With donors shifting from traditional aid to investment-driven models, Africa must position itself as an investment destination. That means creating financing vehicles that blend profit with purpose and catalytic funds to unlock capital for health systems, climate resilience, and digital transformation. If we don’t define these models, others will.
Driving homegrown innovation
From digital health to agriculture to renewable energy, Africa’s most sustainable solutions are being driven by African innovators. The global conversation is shifting toward co-creation, but being “on the agenda” is not enough. We need to be at the table shaping solutions, not waiting for them to arrive.
Health systems as the nexus
One area where this transition is most visible and urgent is health.
Global funding for programmes like PEPFAR is now less predictable, with allocations shrinking even as Africa faces evolving health threats and demographic pressures. At the same time, artificial intelligence is poised to transform care delivery, but without deliberate action, it risks widening inequalities rather than closing them.
This is why partnerships between governments, innovators, investors, and communities matter so deeply. Strengthening Africa’s health systems is not only about safeguarding public health; it’s about building the human capital, trust infrastructure, and resilience required to unlock every other development priority.
Building what matters, together
The world is recalibrating, but Africa does not have to wait for permission to define its future.
We have the resources, the talent, and the innovation to shape our own narrative, but doing so requires courage to lead differently.
Courage to build coalitions that cross sectors and borders, uniting governments, private sector players, and innovators behind a shared vision.
Courage to negotiate as equal partners, shaping the terms of engagement rather than arriving as passive recipients.
Courage to invest in systems, not only projects, because systems outlast politics, policies, and personalities.
And perhaps most importantly, courage to listen deeply and across divides so the partnerships we build are anchored in trust and shared purpose.
A call to co-create
Africa does not need another saviour; it needs strategic collaborators. As U.S. tariffs reshape trade, as the U.K. retreats from traditional aid, and as the EU places bold bets through the Global Gateway, we have an unprecedented opportunity to reframe the terms of engagement.
Not by rejecting global partnerships, but by showing up differently within them. Not by seeking handouts, but by designing value-aligned investments that benefit all parties.
This is not simply about adapting to a new world order. It’s about co-authoring it.
Ota Akhigbe is a strategic leader working at the intersection of health, technology, and partnerships across Africa. She collaborates with governments and development partners to reimagine health systems that deliver equitable outcomes. As a weekly BusinessDay contributor, she writes about leadership, collaboration, and Africa’s role in a rapidly shifting global landscape.
