U.S business group repudiates Trump’s comments on Africa

The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), a leading United States business association, has joined other international and local voices in repudiating the negative comments allegedly made by President Donald Trump about African immigrants to his country.

Trump’s regarding some countries in Africa as ‘shitholes’ has infuriated Africans and people in other parts of the world.In a statement signed by the President and CEO of CCA, Florizelle Liser, the body maintained that Africa is a vibrant continent of 54 nations that is important to the U.S. economically, politically, socially, and strategically.

“Africa contains many of the world’s fastest growing economies, which represent potential new markets for U.S. goods and services. This is exactly what CCA supports and promotes on behalf of its more than 140 member companies – both U.S. and African, multinationals and SMEs,” the organization asserted.

“CCA member companies are actively engaged in sectors ranging from petroleum, power, IT, and health to agribusiness, value added manufacturing, and financial and other services. These companies are benefiting from improved governance and rule of law across the continent, regulations that have improved the environment for doing business, and a rate of return on investment that is higher than what obtains in most of regions of the world,” Liser said.

The organization said the degree of security cooperation the United States enjoyed with numerous countries in Africa “enhances our own security as well as underwrites a more secure environment for pursuing mutual political, economic and business interests”. Many CCA member companies and others are convinced that the African market represents a unique opportunity for growth and expansion, and will play a critical role in their bottom lines.

According to Liser, the organization is proud of members’ incredibly talented staff, which include many young diaspora African interns, analysts, and experts who drive the U.S.-Africa economic and commercial relationship through policy analysis, trade missions to and from the continent, and support for U.S. and African business leaders as they seek to navigate new investments and business ventures.

Trump’s statement was not only greeted with criticisms but has been nullified vehemently with facts.Among them is the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) which indicates that “sub-Saharan African immigrants have much higher education attainment compared to the overall foreign and native-born populations. In 2015, 39 percent of sub-Saharan Africans have a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 29 percent of the total foreign-born population. And compared to the total foreign-born population, Africans are much more likely to be employed in management, business, science, and arts occupations.

“The president’s comments have damaged the interests of the United States in the world’s second largest continent with more than one billion people. The political and security consequences are likely to be negative especially in international positions,” Liser said.