Do Not Ignore Africa - President Akufo Addo to United States Governors
President Akufo Addo has passionately appealed to all fifty (50)
Governors of the United States of America, not to ignore the continent
of Africa in their quest to develop viable partnerships across the globe
for trade and investment opportunities.
Addressing the National
Governors Association’s (NGA) Winter Meeting, in Washington, DC, in the
United States of America and being the first African leader to address
the 50 US Governors at an NGA meeting, President Akufo-Addo said Ghana
and the rest of Africa are looking forward "to a new kind of
relationship with America that would be characterised by a substantial
increase in trade and investment cooperation".
"I urge you not to
ignore our continent". This call, the President made on the grounds
that, "many people say this is the Asian century, but I believe strongly
that this can be Africa's century. Our growth in 2015 was second only
to that of Asia. According to the World Bank, six of the world's ten
(10) fastest growing economies this year are in Africa. We are rich in
natural resources and in possession of nearly 30% of the earth's
remaining mineral resources". On the bases of these facts, the
President urged the Governors and America as a whole to look at Africa
irrespective of existing challenges.
From Poverty to Prosperity
Quoting the famous America politician, William Jennes Brian, who once
said "Destiny is not a matter of choice, it is not a thing to be waited
for, it is a thing to be achieved", President Akufo Addo emphasized that
Africa is determined to engineer the continent from poverty to
prosperity.
"There are many among us who cannot accept that it is
only Asians who can engineer in a generation, their transition from
poverty to prosperity. We are determined to do that in our generation in
Ghana and on the continent to ensure that succeeding generations will
be neither victims nor pawns of the global order."
We Stand Shoulder to Shoulder
President Akufo Addo assured the Governors and for that matter the
United States of America that Ghana stands shoulder to shoulder with
them in the promotion of fundamental human rights on the African
continent and across the globe."We stand shoulder to shoulder with US in
the rejection of terrorism as a legitimate means of settling political
disputes. We stand shoulder to with United States in attempting to
develop our economies to provide opportunities for its citizens. We
stand ready to renew and deepen our relationship with the United States
of America for the progress and prosperity of our two peoples," the
President said.
Plenary Sessions
The winter meeting of
the National Governors Association will have seven(7) Plenary Sessions.
These sessions will amongst other things discuss the Future of Food and
Agriculture, The Opioid Crisis: What’s Working and Where Do We Go Next,
Ahead of the Curve: Innovation Governors, The Future of Innovation in
Higher Education, Caring for our Veterans Through Innovative Treatment
and Rehabilitation and Economic Development and the Future of Work.
The NGA
The National Governors Association (NGA) is the bipartisan organization
of the nation’s governors.
Through NGA, governors share best practices,
speak with a collective voice on national policy and develop innovative
solutions that improve state government and support the principles of
federalism.
Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association (NGA) is
the collective voice of the nation’s governors and one of Washington,
D.C.'s most respected public policy organizations.
Its members
are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. NGA
provides governors and their senior staff members with services that
range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the
Administration on key federal issues to developing and implementing
innovative solutions to public policy challenges through the NGA Center
for Best Practices.
NGA also provides management and technical
assistance to both new and incumbent governors.
Through NGA, governors
identify priority issues and deal collectively with matters of public
policy and governance at the state and national levels. NGA Global
creates opportunities for governors to convene and collaborate with
their counterparts across the globe, including heads of state, global
thought leaders and foreign executives. The time for governors to take a
leadership role in international engagement is now. Across the U.S.,
governors are focused on creating mutually beneficial international
partnerships to strengthen their economies and ensure their states are
internationally competitive. 2018 is the year governors go global.
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