The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) announced today, December 8, 2015, that His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia will deliver the keynote address at the 2016 U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Prime Minister Desalegn is the first African head of state CCA has announced. Other African heads of state and senior government representatives will be attending the 2016 U.S.-Africa Business Summit on February 1-4, 2016, and will be announced over the next seven weeks.
“We are honored that His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn will open CCA’s 10th Biennial U.S.-Africa Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the fastest developing countries in the world today thanks to leadership committed to the improvement of the lives of citizens everywhere,” said CCA President and CEO, Stephen Hayes.
The Summit will immediately follow the African Union’s Annual Head of State Summit in Addis Ababa. Not only is this the first time the African Union and the Ethiopian government will co-host such an event with an American business association, it is also the first time CCA is hosting its Summit in Africa since 2007. “We are the only U.S. business organization that enjoys the confidence of the African Union as exemplified by our MOU,” said Hayes, “so it seems most appropriate that our 10th U.S.-Africa Business Summit, the largest of its kind, will be taking place in Ethiopia.”
Leading American and African corporations will be in Ethiopia looking for new deals and initiatives, as will hundreds of smaller companies and businesses. Special features lined up for the 2016 Summit include site visits to manufacturing facilities around Addis Ababa and a dedicated business-to-business networking center and app for conference attendees. Additionally, CCA is hosting “The Vault”, a series of one-on-one interactive sessions that offer companies looking for capital or bankable projects, a unique opportunity to meet with financial institutions.
The 2016 Summit is proudly sponsored by leading American and African businesses and organizations including: Chevron, Exxon-Mobil, Symbion Power, Acrow Bridge, AGCO Corporation, AstraZeneca, Gilead Sciences, Petrolin Group, USAID, Zenith Bank, Boeing Company, Development Finance International, John Deere, Microsoft, Mota-Engil Africa, Varian Medical Systems, Ford Motor Company and International Green Structures. So far, more than 30 major companies are sponsoring the conference.
The Corporate Council on Africa’s 10th Biennial U.S.-Africa Business Summit will be hosted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 1-4, 2016 at the United Nations Conference Centre. To attend the Summit and for more information, please visit www.summit.africacncl.org or e-mail summit@africacncl.org.
