Nigeria’s Power
Minister the Honorable Muhammed Wakil, CEOs of Africa’s major power companies,
and representatives from the U.S. Export-Import Bank and USAID, joined MBDA to
share opportunities for accessing the energy sector in African markets.

Claudia Easton is an intern in the International Trade
Administration’s Office of the National Export Initiative and Trade
Promotion Coordinating Committee. She’s studying Economics and Political
Science at Amherst College. Cross-posted from Tradeology.

With the President’s recent trip
to Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa, as well as the announcement of
two new trade initiatives, the spotlight is on Africa – and with good
reason.

While speaking at the Business Leaders Forum in Tanzania, President Obama spoke of beginning a new level of economic engagement with Africa. The Doing Business in Africa Campaign
(DBIA) is part of the president’s strategy, and the International Trade
Administration (ITA) is proudsector, build
capacity for reform in the energy sector, and encourage transparent and
responsible natural resource management.

President Obama believes sub-Saharan Africa could be the world’s next major economic success story. That is why in June 2012, he issued the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa (PDF) to escalate the U.S. efforts to stimulate economic growth, trade, and investment in the region. One year later, the President is in Africa to highlight our success under this strategy.

A key component of the President’s strategy is the Doing Business in Africa (DBIA) Campaign, which was launched by the U.S. Department of Commerce in Johannesburg, South Africa last November. Its main objective is to bolster federal trade promotion and financing capabilities in order to help U.S. businesses obtain trade and investment opportunities. With these opportunities,