Berlin, Germany, 9 October 2026 – APRI - Africa Policy Research Institute launched five years ago with a core mission to connect Africa to global policy debates and drive impact through evidence-based analysis. With its fifth anniversary celebration, the organization launched its refocused institutional strategy, APRI Strategy 2026–2030, marked by a celebratory panel discussion on 8 October, entitled 'Who Writes the Terms Now?', held at APRI’s offices in Berlin.
Policymakers, civil society organizations, government, industry experts, and development partners gathered to discuss how African nations can use this moment of global geopolitical realignment to secure bargaining power and define equal terms of engagement. Guests included His Excellency Ita Enang, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Germany, and Mr Andries Oosthuizen, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa.
Dr. Olumide Abimbola, Executive Director at APRI, detailed the think tank’s refocused mandate for the next five years and the journey thus far:
“Five years ago, we set out to bring African perspectives into German and European policymaking. Today, our work has covered 72 countries, with offices in Berlin and Abuja and research and engagement hubs in South Africa, Kenya and Belgium. Our new strategy commits us to strengthening the hand of African governments in the relationships shaping the continent’s economic transformation. Over the next five years, we intend to be in the rooms where those terms are written, with the evidence African governments need when they get there.”
The panel, moderated by Dr. Serwah Prempeh, who leads APRI’s Just Green Technology Transition programme, asked whether the new language of partnership, mutual interest and investment has shifted power, or only the branding. More partners, she argued, do not by themselves mean more bargaining power. Governments need to distinguish between access to several partners, the choice to credibly reject an offer, the leverage to change its content, and the structural power to shape the rules.
Speaking at the event, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and former Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, remarked on what Africa must do when negotiating terms in an evolving geopolitical landscape:
“Europe says 'Made in Europe,' America says 'America First,' and China speaks of global initiatives. In that same vein, we must ensure the message we send out about the continent is positive and that we are adept at negotiating with partners, by articulating our interests clearly and making the most of prevailing circumstances.”
Asked whether African governments can now say no to their partners, he said they can, though there is usually a price to pay. He argued that Europe’s Critical Raw Materials Act will only work if Europe partners with African countries to process and refine minerals on the continent, since the technology and patents for processing are concentrated in one country outside Europe. He also urged Germany to engage beyond its development ministry, citing the terms of export credit, under which Nigeria faced a 10% retention ratio on Euler Hermes trade cover, against 5% for countries in the G20 Compact with Africa.
Emphasizing the importance of rethinking mutual partnerships that define South-North relations, Dr. Henrik Maihack, Head of Secretariat, South-North Commission on Development, asserted:
“If you want reliable rules, you need partnerships. That is why we must commit to working together differently and allowing space for co-creation.”
Dr. Maihack described the newly announced commission, co-chaired by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla. Two-thirds of its 20 members come from the Global South, and it meets for the first time in Bangkok next week.
Asked whether the terms had in fact changed, Amb. Tuggar said they had, in the sense that there is less funding, and called this a wake-up call for recipient countries. The discussion kept returning to localization, meaning aid, investment and trade that build local industry and expertise instead of importing them. How far the terms of partnership have actually shifted, and who writes them, remains an open question that APRI will continue to examine.
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