Speaking at the last leg of his weeklong Africa tour, U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday called for stronger and more effective economic partnerships with Africa, one that would help sustain the region's fast growing economic growth while extending the benefits to as many people as possible.

"We are looking at a new model that's based not just on aid and assistance but trade and partnership," Obama said at a news conference with President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania. "Ultimately the goal here is for Africa to build Africa for Africans. Our job is to be a partner in that process."

Throughout his Africa tour, which included stops in Senegal and South Africa, Obama has implicitly touted U.S.-style investment and partnership as superior to Beijing's Africa aid agenda and urged U.S. firms do more to build local economic capacity.

"Increasingly what we want to do is use whatever monies that we're providing to build capacity," he said. Examples he gave included investment in health systems, food self-sufficiency and sustainable power sources.

Obama has been criticised for lacking a grand programme for Africa, and many Africans have been disappointed at what they see as his lack of engagement with the continent, despite his ancestry there.

But the President was greeted by marching bands in red tunics and groups of traditional dancers clapping as a guard of honour blasted off a 21-gun salute. Huge crowds, perhaps the biggest of his presidency, packed the roads into town. Kikwete noted that he has never seen such a welcome for a foreign leader.

"You are a true friend of Tanzania and a dear friend of Africa," said Kikwete, adding that the Obama administration continues to provide a lot of aid to his country.

Obama's trip comes after a state visit in March by Chinese president Xi Jinping to Tanzania, in which Xi called China and Tanzania "all-weather friends" - suggesting that Chinese investment comes with fewer strings attached - and made big investment promises.

China has invested far more in Tanzania than the U.S. in recent years. Since 2000, U.S. companies have actually repatriated $20 million more from operations in Tanzania than they have invested, according to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. China, meanwhile, has invested $130 million more in Tanzania than it repatriated during that time.

Obama said repeatedly during this trip that he does not feel threatened by China's presence and dismissed suggestions that the U.S. is trying to play catch up in the region.

But he promised that the U.S. will be a good partner in Africa, while encouraging officials here to consider whether China and other countries are engaging in a way that benefits the African economy and people.

"This is my final leg of my visit to Africa," Obama said on Monday. "At every stop, one of my main messages has been that, even as this continent faces great challenges, this is also a moment of great promise for Africa."

Africa is home to many of the fastest growing economies in the world. Economic growth for sub-Saharan Africa reached 5.1 percent last year, according to the International Monetary Fund, which predicts growth of 5.4 percent this year and 5.7 percent next year, well above expectations for the United States economy.

Economy Watch