U.S. Commercial Service, AfDB Others Host Workshop on Digital Investments

The U.S. government, through the U.S. Commercial Service Liaison Office to the African Development Bank (AfDB) and U.S. Commercial Service in Nigeria, in partnership with the American Business Council and the AfDB’s Nigeria Country Department, hosted the Discover AfDB workshop, focusing on the Bank’s recent investments in the digital space.

This event, held in Lagos office, convened over 70 U.S. companies operating in Nigeria. This marks the second time the Discover AfDB series is held in Lagos, as part of a broader initiative to expand private sector outreach on behalf of the U.S. Commercial Liaison Office to the AfDB. The Discover AfDB event, moderated by Elvire Kodio, U.S. Department of Commerce’s Associate Liaison to the AfDB, aims to demystify the Bank and highlight upcoming business opportunities for U.S. companies.

Aligned with the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy, the U.S. government, through the Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) initiative, is dedicated to expanding digital access and creating supportive environments across Africa.

Welcoming participants to the event, U.S. Consul General in Lagos, Will Stevens, noted, “The African Development Bank plays a crucial role in facilitating digital transformation across the continent and particularly here in Nigeria. For U.S. companies, this presents a unique opportunity to collaborate with the AfDB, bringing expertise, technology, and innovation to Nigeria’s burgeoning digital landscape.”

In his keynote address, the Bank’s Director General for the Nigeria Office, Dr. Abdul Kamara,  underscored that, “In Nigeria, and many other African countries, the huge digital infrastructure deficit poses a major constraint to development. The African Development Bank sees digital connectivity as an enabler of growth and therefore understands the urgent need to enhance the digital infrastructure access and connectivity on the continent. This reiterated the level importance that the Bank attaches to events such as this one, which seek to close the digital infrastructure gap on the continent and welcomed the Bank’s heightened partnership with U.S. investors in this space.”