Audio By Vocalize KCB Group CEO Paul Russo. [File, Standard] That a wave of cautious relief swept across the African continent on the signing into law of a one-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) earlier this year is not in doubt. While the move offered a reprieve for Sub-Saharan Africa to access the US market, the broader conversation among policymakers is how to take advantage of the one-year extension to further prop up its trade potential. Since its inception in 2000, Agoa has been a cornerstone of US-Africa trade relations, granting eligible African countries duty-free access…
Author: By Paul Russo
KCB CEO Paul Russo. [Courtesy] Last week, African leaders and policymakers converged in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the Africa Climate Summit 2.0. The gathering built on the 2023 forum held in Kenya, where, among other things, attendees took stock of the progress of the proclamations that emanated from the Nairobi Declaration. At the centre of these discussions was how to prop up the role of the African Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII) and the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA), now considered as the accelerators of the continent’s industrial transformation, after their endorsement by the African Union early this…
President William Ruto (fourth right) and leaders from development finance institutions and commercial banks after signing a cooperation agreement to support the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on September 8, 2025. [Courtesy] This week, African leaders and policy makers have converged in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the Africa Climate Summit 2.0. This is a gathering that builds on the 2023 forum held in Kenya where among other things, attendees are taking stock on the progress of the proclamations that emanated from the Nairobi Declaration. Follow The Standard channel on WhatsApp At the centre of…