By Ajong Mbapndah L
The U.S.-Africa Business Summit serves as a one-stop shop for U.S. business and government leaders to meet representatives from more than 40 countries that are going to be there, and they can start having conversations about opportunities that are available to them, says Florie Liser President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa -CCA.
Building on the hugely successful 2023 Summit that took place in Botswana, the 2024 Summit in Dallas,Texas, running from May 6-9 2024 will bring together the best of what Africa and the United States have to offer, with participants engaging in strategic dialogue on the key issues and opportunities driving U.S.-Africa trade, investment, and commercial engagement, says Florie Liser.
Fielding questions from Pan African Visions (PAV) on the upcoming Summit, Florie Liser says the Presidents of Angola, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Liberia, Malawi, and Togo; the Prime Minister of Lesotho; the Vice President of The Gambia; and the Chief Minister from Sierra Leone have confirmed their presence in Dallas. Optimistic that more leaders will confirm participation in the days ahead, Florie reaffirmed her long standing believe that any U.S. company seeking long-term success that isn’t already invested in Africa or looking at investing in Africa needs to be looking at doing so now.
From the U.S. government side, Florie Liser and the CCA are expecting the participation by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Prosper Africa, the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, the International Development Finance Corporation, US-African Development Foundation, the State Department, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, USAID, and senior members of President Biden’s White House team.
The current state of our relationship with Africa is really good, very strong, and definitely on an upward trajectory when it comes to promotion of private sector connectivity for mutual benefit, says Florie Liser while acknowledging the tremendous support of the Biden administration.
“The pace of engagement with Africa by President Biden and his Cabinet Secretaries is unprecedented, especially the strong focus on supporting private sector trade and investment deals. There can be no mistaking the strength of President Biden and his Administration’s commitment to and engagement with Africa,” says Florie Liser.
How are preparations shaping up for the upcoming USA-African Business Summit in Dallas, TX?
Preparations for the U.S.-Africa Business Summit are well underway, with nearly a dozen African Heads of State or Government as well as many other government ministers, senior U.S. government officials, a growing list of Summit sponsors, and – most importantly – private sector corporate executives from across the United States and the African continent.
The Summit this year brings together the best of what Africa and the United States have to offer, with participants engaging in strategic dialogue on the key issues and opportunities driving U.S.-Africa trade, investment, and commercial engagement.
The last one took place on Botswana, what are some changes expected as the US takes another turn to host the event?
The tremendous success of the 2023 Summit in Gaborone owes much to the personal commitment to and participation in the Summit by President Masisi, senior members of his Cabinet, as well as the Botswana private sector. This energy and engagement have fueled excitement for and participation in the 2024 U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas this year. We are fortunate to have the tremendous support of the City of Dallas as well as the business community not only in Dallas but across North Texas.
In terms of participation may we know some of the African Leaders, corporations and corporate personalities who have confirmed participation for the Summit?
The list of confirmed senior African and U.S. government officials participating in the Summit continues to grow – just within the last week two additional heads of state have confirmed their participation. As of today, the list includes the Presidents of Angola, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Liberia, Malawi, and Togo; the Prime Minister of Lesotho; the Vice President of The Gambia; and the Chief Minister from Sierra Leone. In addition, there are three more Presidents for whom we have verbal confirmations and will announce as soon as the formal written confirmations are received. From the U.S. government side, we will have participation by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Prosper Africa, the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, the International Development Finance Corporation, US-African Development Foundation, the State Department, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, USAID and of course senior members of President Biden’s White House team. Your readers can keep up to date on the senior participation, sponsors, the Summit program, and many other important bits of information on the Summit website at www.usafricabizsummit.com.
May we know what steps or measures were taken by the CCA to ease visa related issues for African participants registered for the Summit?
The U.S. government is extremely supportive of increasing bilateral trade and investment relations between the United States and Africa, and seeks to facilitate the travel of bona fide business persons from Africa to the United States, and from the United States to Africa. You would have to contact the Department of State to get their views on how they do this on the ground.
How have business ties fared between the USA and Africa in the Biden administration?
In December2022, President Biden hosted the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington which had over 40 African heads of state. In 2023 alone, seventeen Cabinet and U.S. government department and agency leaders visited 26 countries in Africa, including Vice President Harris. I was fortunate enough to be in a meeting she hosted in Lusaka, Zambia. In addition, in 2023 there were 547 new private sector trade and investment deals done with a total estimated value of $14.2 billion – an increase of 60% over 2022. Secretary Blinken was just on the continent in January in Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Angola, and Secretary Raimondo will be in Kenya this month, while Kenyan President Ruto will undertake a State Visit to Washington a few weeks after our Summit in Dallas. So, I would have to say that the current state of our relationship is really good, very strong, and definitely on an upward trajectory when it comes to promotion of private sector connectivity for mutual benefit. When he was the head of the U.S. government delegation to the 2023 Summit in Botswana, DFC CEO Scott Nathan noted that the United States is looking at what we can do WITH African governments and the people of Africa – not what we can do FOR them. And that aligns precisely with CCA’s goals over the 31 years since CCA was founded in 1993.
Does the fact that President Biden has not visited Africa in his first term not send mixed messages as to the seriousness of US engagement with the continent?
From the seasoned expert that you are, how do you make the case both in your home country of the USA and to Africa for greater corporate ties?
It is simply to look at the data that underscores the tremendous upside potential for private sector-led growth in Africa, and the steps Africa is taking to make itself the destination for investment, the center of entrepreneurialism and an engine of global growth. I have long said this, but any U.S. company seeking long-term success that isn’t already invested in Africa or looking at investing in Africa NEEDS to be looking at doing so.
What are some of the exciting sectors with great potential for win-win business partnerships between the USA and Africa?
Natural resources, energy, infrastructure, agribusiness, health – both manufacturing as well as service delivery, trade facilitation and information technologies and fintech, aviation, travel and tourism, among others, are all attractive industries. Others might include sports, fashion, and entertainment. The list goes on. Simply put, across the range of business activities there are opportunities that U.S. and African companies are capitalizing on, today and both in and for the future.
Any last sales pitch to companies on the importance, stakes and opportunities at the 2024 Summit in Dallas?
The U.S.-Africa Business Summit serves as a one-stop shop for U.S. business and government leaders to meet representatives from more than 40 countries that are going to be there, and they can start having conversations about opportunities that are available to them. It is a lot more convenient to attend this Summit and meet representatives of so many governments and government agencies as well as companies and corporations in one place than try to travel to 40 different countries to have those meetings. Dallas now has more Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies than most if not all major U.S. metropolitan areas. In addition, the Dallas metropolitan area has the 3rd highest diaspora population (after only the New York City and Washington DC Metro areas), and Texas has the largest African diaspora population of all the states. We want to bring the best of Africa together with the best that America has to offer and have them engage to find new opportunities to work together in ways that benefit the people of Africa and the people of the United States.
