Washington: Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), has emphasised that Africa and the United States have significant opportunities to foster mutually beneficial economic partnerships. He pointed out that the evolving landscape of global alliances and the rise in economic nationalism make it imperative for Africa-US relations to move beyond access and aid towards 'strategy, equity, and co-creation.'
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Asiama, speaking at the African Leaders and Partners Forum at the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC, US, advocated for transforming isolated transactions into long-term frameworks and shifting extractive exports toward value-added integration. He urged for a future where Africa and the US are not just trading partners, but co-creators of prosperity, combining American innovation with African ingenuity in a transformational partnership.
Highlighting successful collaborations such as Kosmos aiding Ghana's oil era and Niche Cocoa's expansion from Accra to Wisconsin, Dr. Asiama envisioned a more robust US-Africa trade with the right policies. He recommended focusing on four priorities: macroeconomic credibility and strategic autonomy, financial system resilience and risk mitigation, trade integration and financing, and inclusive digital transformation.
Dr. Asiama stressed the necessity of financing to scale these efforts, calling for the establishment of US-Africa Trade Finance Hubs co-created with institutions like EXIM Bank, Afreximbank, and the private sector. He urged intentional actions to de-risk transactions for SMEs and new exporters, offer blended capital instruments, and attract investment into high-potential areas.
He concluded by asserting that Africa is not short on opportunity, urging African governments to match ambition with mechanisms to unlock opportunities with the US.