As the global community continues to grapple with COVID-19 (coronavirus), the Atlantic Council is open for business. Our business, meetings, and events, however, are occurring virtually. For more information, please read a statement from our President and CEO.
Promoting
US investment
in Africa
Join our October 16 virtual conference convening African heads of state, major international investors, and US government trade and investment officials to discuss how US investors can help finance the next big boom for Africa through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Prosper Africa.
On Friday, October 16, the Atlantic Council and the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) hosted a premier public forum: Investing in Africa’s Future. The first-of-its-kind event laid out the US administration’s all-of-government approach to Africa policy and underscored strong bipartisan support for the Prosper Africa Initiative’s expanded toolkit. Through a series of announcements and the launch of its historic $75 billion development strategy, the DFC used the conference platform to concretely “advance investments that strengthen economic growth, technology, energy independence, and infrastructure in Africa,” in the words of DFC CEO Adam Boehler. The Africa Center announced its own initiative to support these broader efforts, championing a novel coalition of African development finance institutions to forge a more authentic, optimistic narrative on Africa.
The conference brought together eminent US and African stakeholders across five sessions, featuring remarks from Senegalese President Macky Sall, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, US National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien, US government agency heads, and the CEOs of African development finance institutions, among many others. The Africa Center was pleased to report an Atlantic Council record number of event registrants, and we thank the nearly 40,000 people who viewed our event streams and used our event hashtag #InvestingInAfrica to create over 20 million impressions on Twitter. We invite you to watch the recordings of each session, linked below, and to follow the Africa Center for continued programming in support of African economic growth and prosperity.
Review the playlist of the conference
Session 1: Conversation with African presidents
A panel of heads of state spotlights African markets as priority destinations for investment.
FRI, OCT 16, 2020 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Session 2: Financing African development
African development finance institution CEOs discuss their organizations’ role in post-COVID recovery and growth.
FRI, OCT 16, 2020 9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
Session 3: Propelling Prosper Africa
Senior US officials discuss the status of the Prosper Africa Initiative and US-Africa commercial policy.
FRI, OCT 16, 2020 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Session 4: Advancing African women’s empowerment
Luminary women highlight the power of investing in African women.
FRI, OCT 16, 2020 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Session 5: Launching DFC’s development strategy
DFC executives outline the organization’s new development strategy, in conversation with relevant stakeholders.
FRI, OCT 16, 2020 12:15 PM – 1:00 PM
Featured interviews
Fri, Oct 16, 2020
Reducing Africa’s infrastructure deficit: An interview with AFC President & CEO Samaila Zubairu
The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), a pan-African development finance institution, has been developing and financing infrastructure, natural resources, and industrial assets to increase economic prosperity and growth across the continent since 2007. Watch Samaila Zubairu, president and chief executive officer of the Africa Finance Corporation, join Senior Fellow Aubrey Hruby for an interview to discuss AFC’s investment philosophy, innovation, and future growth, along with the critical role of African development finance institutions in improving economic prosperity.
AfricaSource by
Tue, Oct 20, 2020
Meet three entrepreneurs creating impact in African markets
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) invests in companies and projects in lower and middle income countries, including emerging economies in Africa, to address critical global and regional challenges. Mr. Terry Kier, Mr. Ziad Oueslati, and Ms. Sheeba Philip joined Senior Fellow Aubrey Hruby to share about their companies, their models, and how the DFC’s support has impacted their companies’ growth.
AfricaSource by
Fri, Oct 16, 2020
Financing African trade and development: An interview with TDB Group President & CEO Admassu Tadesse
The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) has been financing trade and development projects and promoting economic integration and prosperity in the region since 1985. Watch an interview below between Mr. Admassu Tadesse, president and chief executive officer of TDB Group and Ms. Aubrey Hruby, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center. Mr. Tadesse covers what makes TDB unique and different, the role African development finance institutions (DFIs) play in returning the African continent to economic growth post-COVID, how TDB can interface with US investors, and ways DFIs can be catalytic in increasing capital flows to African markets.
AfricaSource by
Thu, Oct 15, 2020
An interview with US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy
US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Tibor Nagy, joins Atlantic Council Africa Center Director of Programs and Studies Ms. Bronwyn Bruton to discuss bipartisan support for increased US trade and investment in African countries.
AfricaSource by
Mon, Oct 12, 2020
An overview of DFC operations in African markets
Regional Director for Africa at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Vibhuti Jain, joins Atlantic Council Africa Center Senior Fellow Aubrey Hruby to provide an overview of the U.S. DFC’s operations in African markets and the new Africa Investment Advisors program ahead of the Investing in Africa’s Future Conference.
AfricaSource by
Wed, Oct 14, 2020
Meet the DFC’s Africa Investment Advisors
Watch interviews with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s new Africa Investment Advisors, charged with advancing investment and expanding the DFC’s portfolio on the continent. The DFC’s Africa Investment Advisor program, launched in 2020, is implemented in partnership with CrossBoundary LLC.
AfricaSource by
Read the recap
The Africa Center works to promote dynamic geopolitical partnerships with African states and to redirect US and European policy priorities toward strengthening security and bolstering economic growth and prosperity on the continent.
Subscribe to AfricaSource
Sign up for the AfricaSource newsletter, which provides in-depth analysis and incisive commentary by the Africa Center’s experts on the people and events shaping the present and future of the world’s most dynamic regions
All content
On Twitter? Follow @ACAfricaCenter, @AtlanticCouncil, @DFCgov, and @ProsperAfricaUS and join the conversation by submitting questions in advance.