December 20, 2022, Minneapolis, MN (updated) > Minnesota Africans United (MAU) board members and leaders traveled to Washington DC last week to lobby on behalf of Minnesota’s Expo 2027 bid at special events organized alongside President Biden’s US Africa Leaders Summit.
Basil Ajuo, President and CEO of MAU stated that “In our conversations with Heads of State, Foreign Ministers, Ambassadors, and other high-ranking officials we found strong support for Minnesota’s bid. A number of these supporters are now lobbying other countries on our behalf.”
Ajuo continued, “Our lobby week began with a briefing for African Diaspora and Consular Corp leaders from Chicago, with a focus on ensuring Expo 2027 benefits the entire Midwest region. In Washington, we’ve met with leaders from Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Liberia, Somalia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Zambia, Guinea, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Chad, Tanzania, Nigeria, Senegal, Angola, Malawi, and the United Arab Emirates. Our goal is an Africa-wide consensus in support of Expo Minnesota’s bid to create a powerful engine for economic advancement for both the African Diaspora living in Minnesota and for the continent.”
According to CEO Ajuo, “MAU has been lobbying government and business leaders during UN sessions in New York, in Paris during the General Assembly gatherings of the Expo coordination body, and in national capitals including Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania, and Kenya where MAU has organized “Expo and Trade Promotion” delegations. Until now, we have primarily been meeting with senior government officials in Paris, New York, Chicago, Minnesota, and in their embassies in Washington DC. Having nearly all African Heads of State in the United States at the same time has been an unprecedented opportunity to make our case for Expo 2027,” stated Ajuo.
“The US Africa Summit has inspired African Diaspora leaders to become more united than ever before,” stated Ajuo, “and we will build on this profound legacy by listening, learning and building new partnerships that would benefit the continent.”
Ajuo pledged that “MAU will continue leading trade delegations to African countries to promote our vision of and commitment to two-way trade and investment between the US and Africa. We see the enormous opportunities that an Expo will create for small, medium, and large firms in Africa and in the United States.
Minnesota Africans United
Minnesota Africans United (MAU) is a coalition and statewide organization for all African immigrants’ communities in Minnesota. MAU supports Minnesota’s African Immigrant community with representation from 55 African countries. We act as a connection for the network of African immigrants in Minnesota, and for local African immigrant community organizations, and small businesses.
Twitter https://twitter.com/MNAfricans
U.S. Africa Leaders Summit
President Biden is hosting leaders from across the African continent in Washington, DC on December 13-15, 2022, for the U.S.- Africa Leaders’ Summit. The Summit will demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to Africa and will underscore the importance of U.S.-Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities. Africa will shape the future - not just the future of the African people, but of the world. Africa will make the difference in tackling the most urgent challenges and seizing the opportunities we all face. Website https://www.state.gov/africasummit/
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