A high-level United States delegation led by UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield will travel to Dallas next week to participate in the 16th US-Africa Business Summit, the State Department announced today.
The three-day summit, hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa from May 6-9, is expected to draw over 1,500 business executives, investors, government officials, and leaders from the US and African nations. It aims to bolster economic ties and promote trade and investment opportunities across the African continent.
Besides Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, who will serve as the head of the delegation, other senior officials slated to attend include:
– Alice Albright, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
– Steve Benjamin, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor
– Reta Jo Lewis, Chair and President of the Export-Import Bank
– Enoh Ebong, Director of the US Trade and Development Agency
– Nisha Biswal, Deputy CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation
– Amos Hochstein, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Investment
– Senior officials from the State, Treasury and Commerce Departments
The delegation’s visit coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which has delivered over $10 billion in policy reforms and infrastructure investments in Africa to date. Celebrating the MCC milestone is expected to be a highlight of the summit.
President Biden has prioritised sustainable economic growth and strengthening partnerships with Africa and the African Diaspora. The summit comes on the heels of the US-Africa Leaders Summit held in December and represents continued efforts to deepen bilateral economic engagement.
Topics on the agenda include expanding US trade and investment flows into Africa, promoting an enabling environment for business, and leveraging the power of the African Diaspora for economic development on the continent.