Dangoté-CNN, acte II : la puissance narrative africaine encore sous-traitée à l'Occident
On August 10th, Dangote signed a new deal with CNN. No, it's not a first encounter; it's the continuation of a ten-year-old relationship. And that's precisely the problem.
CNN International Commercial and the Dangote Group have announced a multi-year partnership. The agreement includes sponsoring Africa Inc. , a new CNN International program hosted by Nigerian journalist Adefemi Akinsanya, which focuses on African businesses making their mark on the global stage. The first episode airs on August 29, with four more planned through 2027.
In parallel, CNN produces Africa First , a series of sponsored content about the industrialization, energy independence and economic transformation of the continent, produced by Create, CNN's internal studio which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year.
Let's be clear, because that's what we do: this isn't a "historic deal" in the sense of a one-off coup. Dangote and CNN have been working together since 2016, with " Marketplace Africa," and then since 2018, when Dangote became the first African brand featured on " Great Big Story." This new partnership is therefore a continuation of a ten-year relationship. And that's more serious than a simple one-off deal. It means that in ten years, no African media outlet has managed to become a credible alternative for conveying the narrative of the continent's leading businessman.
The campaign is being broadcast on CNN International, CNN.com, CNN Arabic, the CNN Business networks, and even on CNN US for Africa First . This global, multilingual reach is something even the largest African media groups don't currently achieve. The campaign extends beyond the screen: Dangote is also sponsoring CNN events. It's no longer just advertising; it's a genuine influence strategy.
The problem, let's be clear: no African media outlet is yet able to guarantee Dangote this reach, this credibility with financial markets, this access to a global audience. It's true, and it's hard to admit.
But we must also turn the question around. Dangote is the richest man in Africa. He has the means to finance an international newsroom, a multilingual platform, and a content studio commensurate with his industrial ambitions. He didn't. He preferred to invest in CNN's credibility rather than in building a sovereign African narrative tool.
And here there is a contradiction that cannot be avoided: one cannot advocate for energy independence and the economic transformation of Africa, while simultaneously outsourcing, year after year, the narrative independence of the continent to a Western media outlet.
This deal reveals not only a structural weakness in African media, but also a choice: that of African industrialists who prefer borrowed power to built power. And as long as this choice remains unchanged, CNN will be the one telling the story of Africa's success.
Commentaires (6)
Ceci ne passera non seulement que par les volontés politiques de nos Etats mais aussi par la détermination de nos industriels africains puissants que vous êtes.Evitons le complexe, l'avenir c'est l'Afrique et sécurisons nos entreprises et les gènérations Futures.Je vous suis depuis le SENEGAL
Aussi préférent soutenir Le Manding toujours dans l’objectif d ‘ecraser le Peulh.Alors on les écoute mais jamais investir sur eux.
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