IATF 2025 : Algerian President Urges African Unity to Overcome Marginalization
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Thursday called on African nations to unite their efforts to enable the continent to play a greater role in shaping international economic decisions and to overcome the marginalization it continues to face.
Speaking at the opening of the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algiers, President Tebboune outlined a detailed assessment of Africa’s economic situation, stressing that the continent remains sidelined in most global economic, trade, and financial institutions. He pointed out that Africa holds only 6.5% of voting rights at the IMF — the weakest share globally — and just 11% at the World Bank. At the WTO, despite securing the position of Director-General for the first time, Africa’s influence in decision-making remains limited. Similarly, Africa’s share of global trade stands at only 3%, despite holding 30% of the world’s natural resources and a population of over 1.5 billion, representing a vast emerging market.
President Tebboune also emphasized Africa’s weak share of global investment flows — $94 billion annually, the lowest in the world — and highlighted that intra-African trade accounts for only 15%, compared to 60% within Europe. He underlined the deep infrastructure gaps in transport, energy, communications, and finance but insisted these challenges must serve as motivation to strengthen collective efforts for development.
Showcasing Algeria’s contributions, he cited flagship projects such as the Trans-Saharan Highway, the Algeria-Nigeria gas pipeline, and the fiber optic network for digital sovereignty, as well as expanded air and sea links and Algerian banks’ branches across Africa. Algeria, he noted, has trained over 65,000 African professionals since independence and offers 8,000 annual scholarships in advanced fields including mathematics, robotics, nanotechnology, and AI. Concluding, Tebboune reaffirmed that Africa is the future, stressing that with its youthful population, unlike aging continents, its strength lies in the innovation and creativity of its young people.
