The following press release is a reprint from Hardaway Wire.
Biden’s Washington Looks to Drive Investment Into Africa
House Foreign Affairs Chair Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Deputy Asst Secretary of State for African Affairs Akunna Cook and VP of External Affairs at the DFC Algene Sajery Headline
Hardaway Wire’s Africa Investment Roundtable
WASHINGTON—Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), one of Capitol Hill’s leading voices on matters surrounding U.S.-Africa relations, joined Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Akunna Cook, VP of External Affairs at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Algene Sajery, Côte d’Ivoire Minister of Investment Promotion and Private Sector Development Emmanuel Essis and Senior Director of the African Investment Forum Chinelo Anohu, to headline a virtual Africa Investment Roundtable.
Investors from Wall Street, Silicon Valley and financial services firms throughout the country learned about the trade and investment tools and resources offered through the 17 U.S. Government agencies that make up Prosper Africa. Last year, the Biden-Harris Administration launched the Prosper Africa Build Together Campaign to elevate and energize the United States’ commitment to trade and investment with countries across the African continent. This targeted, long-term effort connects U.S. and African businesses and investors with new trade and investment opportunities and the U.S. Government tools to advance those opportunities—driving sustainable growth across the continent, bolstering economic recovery at home and supporting jobs across all our nations as we build back better together.
In addition to hearing from Chairman Meeks, DAS Cook, Algene Sajery, Minister Essis and Chinelo Anohu guests were joined by Prosper Africa’s Acting COO Leslie Marbury and Senior Transactions Advisor Iman Kennerly. Ms. Marbury and Mr. Kennerly each spoke about Prosper Africa’s work to de-risk African markets and how this gives U.S. investors a greater opportunity to support their investment expansion goals. Speaking on tools such as the political risk insurance and financing tools through the DFC, Ms. Sajery addressed how U.S. businesses can access these resources for cross border growth.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory W. Meeks said, “Creating real change in Africa starts with investing in its future. I am proud to join Hardaway Wire and Prosper Africa for this roundtable as we partner with African countries to drive inclusive, sustainable economic growth and help them capitalize on amazing opportunities going forward.”
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Akunna Cook said: “President Biden has made investing in Africa a priority as he—and his Administration—see the importance of global investment in all corners of the globe. We have made reducing both the perceived risk and actual risk of doing business in Africa a top priority at the State Department and Prosper Africa in order to facilitate the level of investment needed to support Africa’s economic growth. The seeds planted today will pay dividends in years and decades to come for the African public, private sector and investors.”
Hardaway Wire founder Michael Hardaway said: “Africa and the United States are interconnected in so many critical ways. It is essential for all of us that the U.S. and African nations maintain a close—and more importantly—a mutually beneficial relationship that improves opportunities for advancement for all Africans. This roundtable is a crucial step in that direction.”
“The Prosper Africa initiative brings together services and resources from across the U.S. Government to empower businesses with market insights, deal support, financing, and solutions to strengthen business climates. Prosper Africa is a one-stop shop so companies don’t have to spend valuable resources navigating Washington in order to do business,” said Leslie Marbury, Acting Chief Operating Officer of Prosper Africa.
Ms. Anohu hailed the Biden-Harris administration initiative in engaging Africa as a top strategic priority, by institutionalizing Government agencies, like prosper Africa to enable them to do more for the utmost benefit of the continent. She also advocated for a symbiotic relationship that is geared towards accelerating investments in the continent.
Minister Emmanuel Essis outlined President Alassane Ouattara’s policies for Cote d’Ivoire readiness for investment in strategic sectors such as Infrastructure, Health, ICT and industrialization and the President’s ambition for the country to join the class of upper middle-income countries by 2030.
Since launching Prosper Africa in 2019, the U.S. Government has facilitated 107 Energy, 75 Agribusiness, 54 Healthcare, 43 Information & Communication Technology, 36 Aerospace & Defense, 36 Consumer Goods, 32 Environmental Technology and 30 Distribution & Logistics deals throughout Africa, totaling more than $50 billion in exports and investments.
The roundtable was hosted by Hardaway Wire and sponsored by Prosper Africa, a U.S. Government administration initiative that connects U.S. and African businesses with investment opportunities.
In the context of the aggressive investment into Africa from nations in the Middle East and beyond, Hardaway Wire views this conversation as an indicator of Washington’s commitment to a long-term relationship with the continent.
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About: Hardaway Wire is a political intelligence company whose actionable data powers the decisions of CEOs and government officials across fifty-nine countries.