Corporate Council on Africa Hosts Roundtable with Ambassador Sanders

On May 14, I participated in a Roundtable discussion with members of the Corporate Council on Africa in Washington, DC. These are business people working in Africa who are always very interested in keeping abreast of political and economic developments in the region. As Ambassador, I have had an ongoing dialogue with them, as they provide me with invaluable information about the current business climate in Nigeria and I can offer them insights into the thinking of top political leaders and policy makers whose decisions will impact their businesses.

On Friday, our discussion focused on two primary areas — the current political and economic situation in the country. Participants asked about the upcoming 2011 elections, aspects of the recently signed Binational Commission and what it would mean for U.S.-Nigeria bilateral relations, and about the new President’s pick for Vice President and what that would mean for stability and unity in the country. On the economic side, we discussed the potential economic impacts of the recently passed Local Content Bill for foreign investors.

As always, these exchanges provide an invaluable opportunity for representatives from government and the private sector to work together to understand the realities of the situation on the ground and I am honored to be able to bridge that gap and provide information to US companies doing business in Nigeria.