Renson Mwakandana
In an address on Tuesday in Accra, Ghana, US Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized her optimism for the African continent she is visiting and advocated for further investments in innovation.
After a conference with African leaders sponsored by the US President Joe Biden in Washington in December to counterbalance the expanding influence of China and Russia on the continent, she is now in Ghana and will go to Tanzania and Zambia later this week.
Harris spoke to a group of aspiring business owners and leaders gathering at the Black Star Gate landmark in Ghana’s capital after stopping by a music recording studio.
“African ideas and innovations will shape the future of the world, and so we must invest in African ingenuity and creativity which will unlock incredible economic growth and opportunities,” she said.
She highlighted three areas of focus where the US thinks increased funding would be beneficial: empowering women, the digital economy, good governance and democracy.
Harris stated that the United States will continue to be “a steadfast partner for progress” despite some of the difficulties the area is now facing, including as climate change, instability, and obstacles to economic growth.
She also visited Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where slaves were transported to the Caribbean, North and South America, and Europe.
Harris commended President Nana Akufo-Addo “Year Addo’s of “Return” and “Beyond the Return” initiatives, which have encouraged slave descendants to “return home” since 2019, during a state banquet on Monday with him.
“Hundreds of thousands of Black Americans and members of the diaspora around the world came here four years ago… many more visit each year.
Your vision, Mr. President, made this possible,” she remarked. The United States said earlier on Monday that it “intends to provide $139 million in bilateral assistance for Ghana” for efforts in the fields of business, health, and culture. More than $100 million would also be spent to help conflict avoidance and stability initiatives in coastal West Africa according to the plan.
US VP Kamala Harris
A threat of jihadist violence spreading over Ghana’s northern borders from the Sahel exists, along with that facing Ghana’s neighbors Ivory Coast, Benin, and Togo.
