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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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