NEW YORK – Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) has told US Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton that on the US-Africa Policy, some things don’t need to change.
What they need is to be expanded and scaled up, Elumelu said at the weekend in Delaware, United States, while speaking as the Keynote Speaker at the US Senator Chris Coons’ Opportunity Africa Conference 2016.
“In other words, we need more U.S. engagement in Africa through mutually beneficial trade and investment,” he said.
Speaking further, Elumelu said “That is exactly what I, and 200 other US and African political and business leaders including President Obama and over 30 African Presidents, will be discussing next week at the US-Africa Business Forum in New York- how to strengthen mutually beneficial economic ties between the African and American peoples.”
Elumelu’s theme is entrepreneurship. One of Africa’s leading entrepreneurs; he is dedicating time and money, to create a new generation of African business woman and men, committing $100m of his own money.
According to Elumelu, “If we give our people the economic tools to thrive, living standards increase, the political challenges that Africa faces can be tackled and fundamental positive change can be assured.
He called on the next US President to work in Shared Purpose with Africans on implementing innovative solutions to the complex but surmountable challenges in Africa.
He also challenged the American electorate that “So when you meet, write, call and email your political candidates and representatives and the elected President in November, tell them that when it comes to Africa, you want “More.”
And by “More”, I mean more engagement, more positively impactful policies and more development and commercial investment in Africa.”
In closing, Elumelu said “I am an unashamed optimist and I believe that working together, in Shared Purpose, which is what Africapitalism is about, we can help usher in economic transformation that will ensure Africa is a critical player in the 21stcentury global economy. ”
