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Former senior advisor to United States, President Donald Trump, Jason Miller, has warned that Africa risks being exploited once again if it fails to strategically seize emerging economic opportunities that could make the continent an economic superpower by the end of the century.
Speaking at a high-level engagement at the ongoing 2025 Afreximbank Annual Meeting in Abuja on Thursday, Miller projected that by 2050, Africa would surpass Europe as the world’s third-largest economic bloc, with Nigeria expected to rank among the top ten global economies.
He said by 2100, sub-Saharan Africa will be home to four of the world’s most populous countries.
“This is Africa’s century. But if these opportunities aren’t seized strategically, Africa risks being taken advantage of again,” Miller stated when he outlined Trump’s Africa trade vision as partnership over promises.
Miller criticised decades of foreign engagement with Africa, saying many external actors had left the continent with “broken promises” after “taking, taking, taking.”
He contrasted that history with what he described as a more credible U.S. approach—grounded in private sector-led investment, rather than military intervention, debt traps, or rhetorical commitments.
“The difference lies in market-driven investments that demand mutual accountability, not debt diplomacy,” he said.
Miller outlined three non-negotiable priorities for African nations seeking stronger partnerships with the United States:
He urged African governments to reject unsustainable debt disguised as aid and instead prioritize foreign direct investment (FDI) in future-proof infrastructure such as roads, ports, data centres, and clean energy.
Miller emphasized that Africa’s critical minerals and its youthful workforce were key to enabling the continent to lead the global artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain—a shift he likened to the Industrial Revolution.
He warned that enforcing contracts, stabilising currencies, and tackling corruption were prerequisites for attracting large-scale U.S. investment from sources like pension funds and private equity giants.
Miller praised Nigeria’s “gutsy” currency reforms but called for broader, faster reform efforts across the continent.
He also cautioned African leaders against partnerships that undermine sovereignty, contrasting China’s record—which he accused of unregulated fishing, environmental degradation, and high-interest lending—with U.S. contributions such as the PEPFAR HIV/AIDS programme, counterterrorism cooperation, and diplomatic mediation in regions like the DRC-Rwanda border.
“True friendship respects sovereignty and borders without exploitation,” Miller said.
He also addressed U.S.-Africa policy issues, calling for a renegotiation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which expires in September 2025.
Miller questioned the rationale for extending one-way trade preferences to African countries that continue to impose tariffs on American goods or favour Chinese partners.
“Why renew one-way preferences if reciprocity is absent?” he asked.
He defended Trump-era tariffs as tools for protecting U.S. strategic industries, such as auto manufacturing, while simultaneously pressuring foreign governments into fairer trade deals.
Miller pointed to the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) as a key player in driving profit-oriented investments into African infrastructure, citing projects like the Lobito Corridor and Mozambique’s LNG development.
“This is revenue-generating capital, not debt,” Miller emphasized. He called on African nations to implement reforms that could unlock investment flows from U.S. financial giants such as BlackRock and CalPERS.
Offering candid guidance, Miller encouraged African leaders to come prepared when engaging with U.S. officials and investors.
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