U.S.-Africa Business Summit 2024: Opening Ceremony & Opening Plenary

On Tuesday, May 7th, the 16th edition of the Corporate Council on Africa’s U.S-Africa Business Summit kicked off with an atmosphere-setting opening ceremony. Featured speakers included: the President and CEO of Corporate Council on Africa, Florizelle Liser; Chairman of the Board of Corporate Council on Africa, and Founder/CEO of Axxess as well as Chairman of Cavista Holdings Mr. John Olajide; the CEO of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and Chair of the Dallas Regional Chamber Cynt Marshall; the Chair of the Dallas Citizens Council and CEO of CARCON Industries and Construction and SI Engineers, Ms. Arcilia Acosta; the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations and member of President Biden’s Cabinet Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield; and the President of the Republic of Angola João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço. After introductions by the Master of Ceremonies Ms. Liser, CCA Chairman John Olajide noted that post-pandemic shifts to make supply chains more resilient combined with global demographic realities have made Africa much more important in the global economy. He stressed the need for stakeholder collaboration to accelerate economic transformation through transformative partnerships. He noted that the continent is home to the six fastest-growing economies in the world and offers immense investment and commercial opportunities. Cynt Marshall, speaking as Chair of the Dallas Regional Chamber on behalf of the business community, emphasized the future of Africa through its young population, which represents a new pool of talent. She mentioned how the National Basketball Association is the most forward, international-looking professional sports league in America, having globalized its brand many years before. Representing civil society, the CEO of the Dallas Citizens Council, Arcilia Acosta, cited her organization’s achievements, such as the construction of the Southern Western Medical Center, renovations underway at the Dallas Convention Center with a value of $4 billion, and the establishment of a major freeway. Representing President Biden, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield stressed the priority of the Biden administration to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Africa. She cited the vital link between democracy and development through the journey of Liberia. She also cited the achievement of the Biden administration towards Africa with the closing of 547 new private sector or public/private deals worth $14 billion dollars since 2021, hosting the U.S-Africa Leaders’ Summit in 2022, and the partnership of 24 countries with the Millenium Challenge Corporation with a total project portfolio of $10 billion. In his role as First Vice President of the African Union and representing the African delegations in attendance, President Lourenço saluted the burgeoning partnership between the U.S. and Africa since the 2022 U.S. -Africa Leaders’ Summit, which opened an optimistic perspective for the intensification of cooperation on essential infrastructure projects. He stressed the importance of the United States to assist the African continent in tackling pressing issues such as food security, infrastructure gap, and energy deficit through resilient partnerships.