This archive report was first published on 13 July 2019.
On July 13, 2019, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) summit was held in Niger, a country facing increasing jihadist incursions. Behind the scenes, India played a significant role in hosting the summit, marking a shift in its focus from Indian Ocean rim countries in East Africa.
India granted Niger $50 million to facilitate the hosting of the summit, and built the Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Niamey, where over 4,500 delegates gathered. This centre is one of 20 planned infrastructure projects across Africa, inspired by China's infrastructure development efforts.
India's grant to Niger was its first, and it comes as the country seeks to position itself as a more reliable partner in Africa. Recent cancellations of Chinese projects, such as the $10 billion Bagamoyo Port in Tanzania and the $400 million Mamamah Airport outside Freetown, Sierra Leone, have created an opportunity for India to do so.
“India’s partnership with Africa is demand-driven and free of conditionalities,” said TS Tirumurti, an official in charge of economic relations at India’s External Affairs Ministry, at an Africa Day event in May.
India is also funding the construction of convention centres in Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Liberia, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Gabon, at a cost of $291 million. The country's president, Ram Nath Kovind, is scheduled to visit Guinea, Gambia, and Benin later in July.
