In the 13 years since China overtook the United States as Africa’s largest trade partner, the eerie silence of American engagement on the continent has been, well, deafening.
Tony Elumelu, a Nigerian mogul, observed this after a spring visit to Washington DC. He was struck by how China and Europe were making huge strides on the continent, while the US was retreating. “Where is America in all this?” he pondered in an op-ed for The Hill.
But Elumelu also walked away heartened by his US trip, noting that in his exchanges with American policy makers, “I found a genuine interest in reengaging Africa, in a manner that prioritizes mutual benefit and self-reliance.”
America’s back at Africa Business Summit
Elumelu has a point. America is in Africa, so it’s not surprising that America is back there. If you needed additional evidence of this revival, you should have attended The US-Africa Business SummitThe conference was held in Marrakech, Morocco from July 19 through 23. Conferences are often criticized for being a lot of talk and little action. People show up, make big declarations and commit to following through.
Sometimes just showing up is enough. And show up they did for the summit organised by the Corporate Council on Africa: 2,200 delegates from around the world, including the full weight of the American private sector – Big Oil, Big Tech, Big Pharma, all the bigs.
They also bring a large contingent from the US government, including Prosper Africa, a trade-focused initiative, and many other US government agencies that have contributed greatly to its success.
It was not an accident that the event was held in Morocco, which is the only African country to have a free trade agreement. The US engagement in Morocco is a model for supporting the entire continent in its self-sufficiency. It can be used to help African countries grow their food, increase electricity access, or build the infrastructure that will allow the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (the largest trade zone in the globe) to succeed.
Indeed, showing up means a lot when America’s absence on the continent has been felt so indelibly for years. It’s seven years since an American president made an official visit to Africa – when Barrack Obama addressed the African Union in Ethiopia in 2015.
Despite the many entreaties made to Africa, the Obama presidency saw a dramatic decline in US-Africa bilateral trade. It fell to below $50 billion after a record $142 billion high when Obama was elected in 2008. Trump’s years were characterized by malign negligence. Trade stagnated further after a paralysed State Department failed to fill crucial diplomatic positions. US foreign investment in Africa plummeted.
The net result of a reductive “America First” policy was a detrimental decline in US influence on the continent that further blew open the door for Chinese interests. Chinese trade with Africa surpassed $250 billion in 2021.
Prosper Africa fosters trade
There was a silver-lining to Trump’s presidency in Africa. In 2019, the Prosper Africa initiative was created. This initiative retooled US government agencies to encourage bilateral trade and investment. President Biden took over the program and has done a good job keeping it going. Prosper Africa has completed 800 transactions in 45 countries since its inception. This totals $50bn. American policy on Africa that values mutual economic interests and shared prosperity is a wind of change that will reverse more than a decade of stagnation.
This was something President Biden seemed to grasp last week when he announced that he would be hosting. US-Africa Leaders Summit in DecemberAll African heads-of-state were invited to the White House by President Obama for the first time since 2008, It was a welcome sign America was finally making its presence known again.
Guillaume Doane is the Consulting Director of 35°Nord, an African-focused strategic communications agency that is part of the group Avisa Partners.
Source: african.business
