Musings From Abroad

Brazil’s Lula da Silva keen on resuming ‘good and fruitful’ relations with Africa

Published

10 months ago

July 20, 2023

Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he is keen on strengthening bilateral relations with African states which existed when he was in office for the first time in the 2000s.

Lula wants to resume the “good and fruitful” relations his country once enjoyed with Africa.

Lula said he looked forward to visiting “several” African countries this year and the next as “Brazil has the potential to help Africa in several aspects.”

Lula, who took office in January for his third non-consecutive term, mentioned that his country could have helped African nations to purchase COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.

“Now I want to have meetings with African leaders so we can see how Brazil can advance in helping the African continent,” the leftist leader said after meeting with Cape Verdean President, Jose Maria Neves.

Brazil and Africa have had diplomatic ties since the 16th century when the slave trade was at its height. Around five million Africans were sent to Brazil during this time, making it the transatlantic slave trade’s primary destination. Three factors served as the foundation of Brazil’s colonial economy: foreign dependence, extensive land ownership, and slavery.

Many African leaders were quick to congratulate Brazil’s President on his election. They are counting on da Silva to improve relations.

Africa’s relations with Brazil suffered under former President Jair Bolsonaro. The re-election of President da Silva drew hopeful comments from Africa when he returned to power in January. One of such comments was credited to Guinea-Bissau’s President, Umaro Sissoco Embalo who remarked that “Africa will again be a priority in Brazil’s relations with the world.”

The chairperson of the South Africa-based Democracy Works Foundation, William Gumede, was also credited in an international publication with the quote, “I think we’ll get back to the original Lula strategy of a closer relationship with Africa and much closer relations again with South Africa and BRICS.”

At the moment, South Africa is the only African state in the BRICS, but interest in joining has continued to grow in African countries.

Membership in BRICS could facilitate the strengthening of Africa/Brazil relations as the South American country is a critical stakeholder in the group, sharing the space with China, India, and Russia, which experts believe will be the dominant suppliers of manufactured goods, services, and raw materials by 2050.

Related Topics:Africa Brazil diplomatic ties Featured

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Musings From Abroad

China’s Hailiang, Shinzoom to establish vehicle battery installations in Morocco

Published

18 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Hailiang and Shinzoom, Chinese car battery makers, will establish two separate operations in Morocco as the country strives to adapt its burgeoning automotive sector to rising demand for electric vehicles, Moroccan officials announced on Tuesday.

Tanger Tech, the Moroccan northern industrial zone’s development authority, said Hailiang intends to establish a $450 million copper facility on a 30-hectare plot of land. Shinzoom, a subsidiary of Hunan Zhongke, plans to invest $460 million in an anode plant spanning 20 hectares, according to a statement.

In April, the Moroccan government approved Chinese electric battery company BTR New Material Group (835185.BJE)’s plans to build a factory in Tangier to manufacture crucial component cathodes.

Another Chinese firm, CNGR Advanced Material (300919.SZ), plans to develop a cathode plant in Jorf Lasfar, 100 miles south of Casablanca, where the government has set aside 283 hectares for electric battery sectors.

Last year, the Moroccan government and China’s Gotion agreed to examine establishing an electric vehicle battery plant in the country, with a potential investment of up to $6.3 billion. Last month, Industry Minister Ryad Mezzour told Reuters that the Gotion project was moving forward, with conversations over its footprint and location.

Morocco’s strategic location on the Strait of Gibraltar, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and existing automotive sector cluster all attract Chinese enterprises.

In 2023, the automotive sector topped Morocco’s industrial exports with $14 billion, a 27% increase. Morocco is home to Stellantis (STLAM.MI) and Renault (RENA.PA) production factories with an annual combined capacity of 700,000 automobiles, as well as a network of local suppliers.

Musings From Abroad

Prince Harry, Meghan treated to street-style dances in Nigeria as their trip winds down

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

On Sunday, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were treated to street-style dances in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, where they announced a partnership between their Archewell Foundation and the non-profit Giants of Africa, which utilizes sports to empower young people.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are making their first visit to Nigeria, where they were welcomed by the country’s chief of defence staff. The couple watched basketball practice at Ilupeju Senior Grammar School on Lagos Mainland, where Harry participated in ball-bouncing drills and shot a hoop.

“What you guys are doing here at Giants of Africa is truly amazing,” he said. “The power of sport can change lives. It brings people together and creates community and there are no barriers, which is the most important thing.”

The couple watched basketball practice at Ilupeju Senior Grammar School on Lagos Mainland, and Harry stepped on the court for some ball-bouncing drills and to shoot a hoop.

Former Toronto Raptors star Masai Ujiri, president of Giants of Africa, wished Meghan a happy Mother’s Day and said his organization was uniting communities and uplifting young people through sport, especially. Archewell Foundation and Giants of Africa will construct a basketball court in Nigeria’s capital Abuja.

“Talk about full circle again – never did I think we would be able to be here all those years later supporting the expansion of this incredible organization,” she said.
Harry and Meghan were set to round off their Lagos trip by attending a reception for a local charity. The couple live in the United States with their two children after Harry gave up working as a member of the royal family in 2020.