WASHINGTON, DC—On Thursday, February 18, the U.S.-Nigeria Council (USNC) hosted an event with the US Government’s West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, a USAID-funded trade and investment facilitation activity that works to advance private sector competitiveness in West Africa by partnering with companies to generate new capital investment in key sectors. Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and USNC Chairman Terence McCulley welcomed guests and kickstarted the event, which featured remarks from Trade Hub Deputy Chief of Party Karl Littlejohn.
Littlejohn began with an overview of the Trade Hub, outlining its key priorities: (1) increasing private investment; (2) improving U.S. trade with West Africa; and (3) creating jobs, with at least 50% dedicated to women. He underscored Nigeria’s importance to the Trade Hub, with half of its $96 million co-investment fund dedicated to the market. Littlejohn explained that the Trade Hub has an agribusiness focus in Nigeria, prioritizing partnerships in five value chains (maize, rice, soy, cowpea, and aquaculture) across seven states (Benue, Niger, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Delta, and Cross River). However, projects that impact logistics, energy, or support value chains more broadly could also be considered. Research and Development is another focus area, with the Trade Hub providing grants in areas such as agricultural innovation and value chain development to increase yields.
Following these remarks, USNC Senior Advisor Aubrey Hruby moderated a discussion between Littlejohn and USNC members participating in the discussion. Topics included eligibility criteria for Trade Hub grants, tools used to de-risk investment opportunities, and digital farming. The event was attended by C-level executives from Nigerian companies spanning the agriculture, financial services, oil and gas, and consumer goods industries.
This event was the second in a series of USNC briefings on U.S. Government programs and initiatives that work to advance two-way trade and investment between the United States and Africa. If you would like to learn more about the USNC and our future programming, please email USNC Director of Operations Jonathan Dörnhofer at jdornhofer@usnigeriacouncil.org.