Bangladesh, Aug. 3 -- The world Africa once knew is disappearing. The age of generous foreign aid, expanding globalization, and faith in international cooperation is giving way to an era defined by strategic rivalry, economic nationalism, and geopolitical competition. Nations are increasingly focused on securing critical minerals, protecting supply chains, strengthening industrial capacity, and advancing their own national interests. In this new reality, economic partnerships are no longer driven primarily by shared prosperity but by strategic advantage.

For Africa, this transformation presents a stark choice: remain a collection of fragmented economies reacting to global events, or emerge as a united economic force capable of shaping t...