In the past decades, Africans have been attracted to such gatherings as the China-Africa Summit, the Europe Africa-Summit, the Japan-Africa Summit (TICAD) and tomorrow, who knows, the Africa-India and Africa-American Summits might come into the limelight. However, generations of Africans have been heard that the growing attraction the continent is subject to can be accounted for by her riches. But the positive effects on the continent are slow in coming. Speaking at the just ended Yaounde International conference, “Africa 21”, the former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan said “our wealth is in natural, human and renewable resources”. He noted that such “wealth is also increasing Africa’s geo-strategic importance.”

However, with a quarter of the world’s states and about a billion people, survival has continued to be a big challenge to the continent. In spite of the available resources many people still go hungry and infrastructural development in Africa remains weak. Several reasons have been given to justify the setbacks but many voices have pointed to the fact that Africa needs to act in a group in order to boost up progress within the continent.

Justifications equally abound as to why African leaders must today look for a way to render relations with their strong Southern partners more dynamic as it is doing with France and other European countries today. Moreso, the continent is increasingly demonstrating the willingness to work with other partners that want to take Africa forward. Kofi Annan said it clearly when he recalled in Yaounde last month that “investments by countries such as China are helping to diversify our economies, (in Africa) address infrastructure deficits, lower the cost of business and facilitate trade. Goods and services are becoming more accessible to the poor”.

Undoubtedly, the message is that Africa cannot make it alone. Thus, while the rest of the world needs the continent, Africa also needs the world to succeed. But given that for the past decades and even centuries, the ties have not benefitted the African continent sufficiently, it must be said that the time has come for the leaders of Africa to make their presence felt in gatherings such as the current Africa-France Summit of Heads of State and Government in Nice.

Meeting for the 25th time since its inception, the Africa-France Summit has certainly made significant strides. That notwithstanding, the continent still needs several indices to be convinced that the road covered is far enough for it to actually assert its autonomy. The balance of trade, the political sovereignty, and other areas of strategic importance require that African leaders take greater control in other to ascertain the destiny of their nations and peoples. The challenge may be great but not impossible given the growing level of awareness within the continent. President Paul Biya who set the ball for relections rolling with the Yaounde Internaional Conference last month, pointed out that at 50, Africa is mature. This means a new era now opens for Africa both in south-south cooperation as well as north-south cooperation.