The
4th edition of the New York Forum AFRICA (NYFA), the world’s leading
pan-African business summit, will now take place on August 29-31 2015 in
Libreville, Gabon under the High Patronage of His Excellency Ali Bongo
Ondimba, President of the Gabonese Republic.
The
dates have been changed to coincide with the 14th AGOA Forum, the first
time this Forum has ever been held in Central Africa. Gabon was chosen
as the host nation for the AGOA Forum, which is a US government
initiative to expand trade with Sub-Saharan Africa. The NYFA will serve
to highlight business and economic opportunities across the whole
continent alongside the AGOA discussions about US-Africa trade. The
Gabonese government decided to combine the two global events to
capitalise on the presence and reach of thousands of economic and
business leaders who will be together in Libreville for days of
discussion and debate.
President
Bongo said: “We were delighted to be chosen as the host nation for the
14th AGOA Forum; running the two events together was the natural
conclusion. While the falling oil price comes at a time of increasing
investment into infrastructure projects, it is vital we maintain the
economic diversification programmes we have put in place to reduce our
dependence on oil revenues. Increasing trade with the West and
continuing to attract investment through highvisibility gatherings such
as the AGOA Forum and the NYFA are essential.”
More
than 1,500 business and political leaders are expected to attend this
year’s NYFA. The theme of the Forum is Invest in the Energy Continent;
it will focus on the new dynamism in the continent, from entrepreneurs
and inward investment, as well as the growing energy sector. Key topics
include: economic dynamism; energy sector opportunities;
entrepreneurship and enterprise; job creation and economic
diversification; education and innovation. The New York Forum AFRICA is
the only pan-African business summit to be held in Africa in 2015. AGOA
(African Growth and Opportunity Act) was signed into law by President
Clinton to expand and deepen trade and investment relations between
Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States, and to encourage economic
growth and development.
Richard
Attias, Founder of the New York Forum, said: “Holding the two events
together is a terrific opportunity: this will really increase the scope
of discussions at the NYFA, giving us access to an unprecedented level
of US public sector officials and CEOs, while delivering the quality of
content for which the NYFA has become known in its three editions to
date.”
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