Africa, the United States, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act

According to the World Bank and the CIA, six of the world’s fastest growing economies are in Africa. The future of many African nations looks bright with economic growth expected to continue to be generally robust for the medium term (next 3 to 6 years).

In fact, a forecast by The Economist and IMF for 2011-2015 for African countries shows them pulling ahead of Asian countries in terms of growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

One reason for this optimism is The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which was initially signed in 2000, and renewed by the United States (U.S.) Congress 2 months ago for a ten-year term. It offers, on the surface at least, tremendous opportunities to African nations for trade expansion with the U.S.

Editor's Comment
Child protection needs more than prevailing laws

The rise in defilement and missing persons cases, particularly over the recent festive period, points not merely to a failure of policing, but to a profound and widespread societal crisis. Whilst the Police chief’s plea is rightly directed at parents, the root of this emergency runs deeper, demanding a collective response from every corner of our community. Marathe’s observations paint a picture of neglect with children left alone for...

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