Paul Kagame made the remarks during a meeting that brought together leaders of major African and French companies to discuss the development of environmentally friendly industries and the transition toward clean energy solutions.

During the discussions, President Kagame questioned whether the current global imbalance facing Africa should not be considered an injustice. However, he stressed that Africans must first take responsibility for building their own future rather than waiting for outside intervention.

“As Africans, we must first take responsibility before anyone else. No leader in the world, no matter how powerful their country may be, will come to solve Africa’s problems better than Africans themselves,” Kagame said.

The Rwandan leader emphasized that sustainable development on the African continent depends on the determination and efforts of its own people. He added that such forums should serve as platforms for finding practical solutions through stronger cooperation between governments and the private sector.

President Kagame further called for deeper partnerships between African nations and businesses to help the continent overcome economic and development challenges.

The discussions followed the Africa-France partnership summit known as the Africa Forward Summit, which is expected to produce new cooperation agreements between African countries and France focused on investment, clean energy, and sustainable industrial growth.