(Accra) US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday called for more investment in innovation in Africa, “the future of the world”, during the first leg of her tour of the continent.
His trip to Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia, scheduled until April 2, comes months after a United States-Africa summit in December in Washington, during which President Joe Biden called for the creation of a vast partnership with Africa, a continent where the United States is seeking to assert its presence in the face of the growing influence of China and Russia.
“African ideas and innovations will shape the future of the world, and so we must invest in African ingenuity and creativity, which will lead to incredible economic growth and opportunity,” Ms. Harris told a crowd of entrepreneurs at Accra, the capital.
She highlighted several areas that the United States believes could benefit from more investment: women’s empowerment, the digital economy, good governance, and democracy.
While she spoke of the many challenges in the region, including insecurity, climate change and obstacles to economic growth, the American vice-president assured that the United States would remain “ an unwavering partner for the progress ” of the continent. .
“We are ‘all-in’ on Africa,” she added, echoing President Joe Biden’s words at the United States-Africa Summit last year.
Ms. Harris is due to visit Cape Coast Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from where slaves were shipped to America and the Caribbean.
During a meal on Monday with Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, Ms. Harris praised his initiatives called “Year of Return” and “Beyond Return”, which encourage descendants of slaves to “return at home” since 2019.
“ Hundreds of thousands of black Americans and members of the diaspora from around the world came here four years ago […] Many more go there every year. Your vision, Mr. President, made this possible,” she said.
On Monday, she also announced $139 million in aid to Ghana, which is in the throes of a serious economic crisis, as well as $100 million to help Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo to fight against the crisis. jihadist threat from the Sahel.
The US Vice President is due to leave Ghana on Wednesday and travel to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
