German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pushing for more international support for Africa, saying it's important to fight problems causing people to flee their homelands and help promoted development as populations boom, the Associated Press reports.

In her weekly video podcast Saturday, October 8 a day ahead of a three-day trip to Mali, Niger and Ethiopia, Merkel said Africa will be a focus of Germany's upcoming G-20 presidency.

With the population of Africa expected to double in the next 35 years, "it's in our best interest to help Africa develop well, as the countries naturally, at the same time, make their own contributions to good governance."

In addition to traditional development aid, Merkel says she'll work to help create conditions for private investment.

She says "state support alone can't advance the development of an entire continent."