The United Kingdom will be hosting a virtual one-day Africa Investment Conference on 21 January 2021event to explore opportunities for partnership.
The conference comes one year after the UK-Africa Investment Summit hosted in London by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, where 27 trade and investment deals worth £6.5bn and commitments worth £8.9bn were announced.
Minister for Africa, James Duddridge said, “The UK is working with countries across Africa to build strong partnerships that secure investment and deliver more of the exports, jobs and economic growth that benefit both African and British businesses.”
“Over £6.5 billion worth of deals were signed at the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020, which showcased the UK’s offer to African nations, as a global financial gateway and home to the world’s major investors, regulators and innovators. January’s event will once again bring together British and African businesses and entrepreneurs, to support more prosperous African countries.”
Trade Commissioner for Africa, Emma Wade-Smith OBE said the Africa Investment Conference will build on the achievements of 2020’s landmark UK-Africa Investment Summit.
“Connecting British businesses to the wealth of opportunities that exists across African markets and supporting them in the realisation of their commercial projects is at the heart of our work. With the global disruption to markets caused by COVID-19, investment will be vital to accelerate the UK and Africa’s economic recovery. I am proud that the investment partnerships that exist between Africa and the UK continue to sustain jobs and improve lives,” Wade-Smith said.
Co-Chair of the Africa Investor’s Group (AIG), Andrew Skipper, said, “A year on from the UK-Africa Investment Summit, and with the UK set on a new course, it is critical that we continue to demonstrate the UK Government’s commitment to working with the private sector to promote, support and deliver trade in key sectors of British excellence, across the whole of UK and across Africa.”
UK Minister for Investment, Gerry Grimstone said, ”Growing investment relationships will be central in helping economies recover and build back better from the disruption caused by Coronavirus.”
The UK aims at Africa at a time when the island’s decision for Brexit is facing challenges
The European country and EU are still working on negotiations to find a way to resolve an impasse on arrangements that would guarantee Britain zero-tariff and zero-quota access to the EU’s single market.
