Published
June 05, 2025
Organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Africa Business Center (USAfBC) in partnership with the AmCham network across West Africa (Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Angola), the first-ever West Africa AmCham Business Summit aligned U.S. private sector capabilities with Africa’s growth ambitions—and reaffirmed the importance of American economic partnerships across Africa.
The U.S. Chamber organized an executive business delegation to the AmCham Business Summit, as well as dialogues at the Africa CEO Forum and regional institutions poised to support U.S. partnerships with the region.
The summit advanced a clear vision: U.S. businesses are not only ready but indeed strategically positioned to deepen trade and investment with Africa.
Strategic Engagement Grounded in Local Realities
Set to become home to one in four of the world’s people by 2050, Africa is not just a partner of the future—it is a partner of strategic importance today. With vast commercial potential in industries like agriculture, digital infrastructure, critical minerals, and energy, Africa presents growing opportunities for American businesses seeking to diversify markets and stabilize supply chains. The fast-growing nations of West Africa, in particular, have continued to boast consistently high economic growth rates, pro-business reforms, and other favorable macroeconomic trends.
Hosted on the margins of the Africa CEO Forum, the summit began with a welcome from U.S. Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire Jessica Davis Ba, who urged that the U.S. presence in West Africa be visible, intentional, and responsive to business priorities.
The U.S. Chamber-led business delegation also paid a visit to the headquarters of the African Development Bank in Abidjan, where American companies learned how they can be part of the nearly $10 billion in annual investment across Africa, and how to more effectively compete through a deeper understanding of procurement systems and financing mechanisms.
A Commercial Strategy with Teeth: America Competing to Win
Notably, the summit featured the official launch of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs Commercial Diplomacy Strategy, announced by Ambassador Troy Fitrell, Senior Bureau Official for African Affairs.
“Africa should be among our largest trading partners—and yet it isn’t. ... That must change,” said Ambassador Fitrell.
The strategy outlines six actions critical to elevating U.S. competitiveness on the continent:
- Making Commercial Diplomacy Core: U.S. Ambassadors are now evaluated based on their ability to advance U.S. business interests and close deals.
- Pursuing Market Reforms: Working with African governments to eliminate non-tariff barriers and create fairer competition for U.S. companies.
- Prioritizing Infrastructure Projects: Supporting high-impact infrastructure aligned with U.S. commercial strengths—not vanity projects.
- Leading Commercial Diplomacy Missions: Impactful visits by senior officials focused on trade and investment—not broad diplomatic dialogue.
- Connecting U.S. Capital to Opportunity: Unlocking access to African markets for over 300,000 export-ready U.S. businesses.
- Modernizing U.S. Trade Tools: Advocating for quicker approvals, blended financing, and bold risk-taking by U.S. trade agencies.
Another newsworthy highlight of the AmCham Summit was the announcement of the next U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, taking place later this year in the United States.
Practical Solutions, Real Tools
Throughout the summit, panel discussions focused on challenges impacting U.S. and African stakeholders alike, such as:
- Agro-Processing and Food Security: Reducing Africa’s import dependency through localized value chains.
- Digital Transformation and AI: Showcasing how U.S. technologies can support smart cities and workforce development.
- Critical Minerals and Energy Financing: Positioning U.S. industry in the global race to secure responsible mineral supply chains.
- SME Trade Inclusion: Enabling smaller U.S. businesses to compete and thrive in West African markets under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In each session, one point was continually emphasized: strategic U.S. investment is more than capital—it’s about jobs, technology transfer, and long-term partnership.
This tenet was on display as numerous companies signed deals and announced partnership agreements with Ivoirian partners, including the U.S. Chamber.
A Strategic Stop in Ghana
The USAfBC continued onto Accra, Ghana, where on May 16, 2025, the U.S. delegation met with senior officials of President John Mahama’s new administration, discussing cooperation in sectors like energy, agribusiness, critical minerals, and digital innovation.
The delegation participated in a Dialogue with Ambassador Virginia Palmer, outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Ghana. Discussions highlighted opportunities and challenges of the Ghanaian market, as well as promising business reforms under President John Mahama’s administration.
Finally, an important visit to the AfCFTA Secretariat provided updates on the continent’s integration agenda, with new digital trade protocols offering promising investment pathways for American tech and e-commerce firms.
Meetings with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, and the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry laid the groundwork for deeper strategic partnerships anchored in a shared interest in digital technology, infrastructure solutions, and critical minerals.
What’s Next: From Talk to Trade
As the Chamber’s delegation and AmCham Business Summit made clear: U.S. businesses can—and should—play a greater role in shaping Africa’s economic future. Doing so is a matter of strategic national interest: when we invest in Africa, we advance U.S. values, competitiveness, and long-term prosperity.
Looking ahead, the U.S. Chamber’s U.S.-Africa Business Center will build on this momentum with ongoing commercial diplomacy and policy dialogue, including facilitating deals between the U.S. private sector and African counterparts at the upcoming U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.
Learn more about opportunities for engagement with the U.S.-Africa Business Center.
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