Noel Anderson appointed member of the State Duma’s Expert Council on Russian-African relations 

Russia’s State Duma, the lower Chamber of Legislators, has reconstituted its Expert Council on the development and support of comprehensive partnership with African countries under Alexander M. Babakov, the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

By creating this Expert Council on Russia’s relations with Africa, it underscores the leadership’s strategic policy diversity that aims at advancing a powerful leverage into the African continent, grappling with the tremendous emerging opportunities and the challenges in pursuing socio-economic cooperation, sustaining the political dialogue as well as parliamentary relations.

As part of practical steps toward strengthening economic partnership, African countries grappling with rapidly geopolitical changes, the Expert Council pledges to take unique pragmatic measures toward implementation of the various decisions adopted at both first and second Russia-Africa summits held respectively at southern coastal city of Sochi (October 2019) and in St. Petersburg (July 2023).

In a brief conversation after the announcement, in late August 2025, Noel Anderson, Russian-Ghanaian entrepreneur and sports amateur, whose name was listed as a member of the State Duma’s Expert Council, explained that his tacit role together with other members includes designing a long term policy strategy, undertaking innovation initiatives, and especially forging economic expansions into the African continent which is now attracting foreign players.

By this appointment, Noel Anderson brings extensive sports and entrepreneurial expertise in contributing to the full-fledged operations of the Council.

The Expert Council draws its members from different spheres including the Russia’s educational institutions, ministries and departments, NGOs and the State Duma. The list made publicly available included Noel Anderson, Russian-Ghanaian entrepreneur and sports amateur. In the historical and professional career context, Noel Anderson became ultimately the first Ghanaian citizen to serve at this top-level position, on the State Duma’s Expert Council, in the Russian Federation.

“Without much doubt, the newly created State Duma Council is, apparently, a powerful engine with multitude of significant tasks to support Kremlin’s and Russian government’s efforts in building relations with Africa.

This, therefore, means not only leveraging our existing strategic partnerships with African leaders, but also actively forging new alliances, and strengthening our competitive position across Africa. We will be dealing with aspects of the policy strategies as outlined and proposed by President Vladimir Putin during the first and second Russia-Africa Summits,” Anderson emphasized in the media interview.

According to the official documents made available, Noel Anderson is currently the Head of the Sports Committee of the Union of African Diaspora, Chairman of the Sports Committee of the International Association GATINGO.

He is business consultant and also an avid researcher on foreign policy, particularly on Russian-African affairs. He graduated with a Ph.D from the People’s Friendship University named after Patrice Lumumba.

The State Duma Council members include Professor Irina Abramova, as the Deputy Chairperson of the Expert Council, and Director of the Institute for African Studies (IAS), Nikolay Novichkov, State Duma deputy and Deputy of the Expert Council, Larisa Efremova, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of the People’s Friendship University named after Patrice Lumumba, Alexey Maslov, Acting Director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Igor Morozov, Chairman of the Coordinating Committee for Economic Cooperation with Africa (AfroCom) at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dmitry IIyich Suchkov, Senior Advisor to the Department of Pan-Africa Problems and Regional Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Oleg Ozerov, Ambassador-at-Large, Head of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Economic Forum of the Russian Federation.

In today’s rapidly changing geopolitical environment, Russia has reiterated the importance of creating a new architecture based on a shared aspiration, on peaceful and harmonious coexistence with others. Russia works to lay the foundations for a fairer multipolar world – one built on the principles of sovereign equality of states, constructive cooperation, and a balance of interests in the emerging new world.

The State Duma’s and Alexander Babakov’s websites show the full list of members, all the members with employment backgrounds. The website says the Expert Council will be responsible for optimizing Russia’s policy within the framework of parliamentary relations, and provide support for multifaceted policy dynamics with Africa. The State Duma is the lower chamber of legislators of the Russian Federation.