African Leaders and Partners Forum 2025
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22 April 2025
Convened alongside the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings, the Forum brought together more than 200 high-level African leaders, U.S. government officials, and global partners under the timely theme: “Africa & the U.S.: Shaping a Trade-Driven Future Under the New Trump Administration.”
The strong turnout and thoughtful discussions reflected a shared commitment to building a future-focused U.S.-Africa relationship grounded in mutual prosperity, innovation, and trusted partnerships.
We were honored to welcome ambassadors and senior officials from over a dozen embassies across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and Australia, alongside representatives from key U.S. agencies including the Department of State, U.S. EXIM Bank, World Bank, IFC, AUDA-NEPAD, and AfCFTA. Notable private sector participants included Bank of America, Citi, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nasdaq, as well as officials from the Bank of Ghana, the British Embassy, Corporate Council on Africa, and leading academic and policy institutions.
Featured Speakers
We were privileged to be joined by a distinguished group of speakers and thought leaders, including:
• Mr. William Stevens, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs,
• U.S. Department of State
• Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, Governor, Bank of Ghana
• H.E. Ambassador Elsie Kanza, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United States
• Mr. Todd McDonald, President, Liberty Bank and Trust & Chair, National Bankers Association, USA.
• H.E. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO, African Union Development Agency – NEPAD
• Hon. Richard Gyan-Mensah, Deputy Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Ghana
• Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, Chairman, National Development Planning Commission, Ghana
• Ms. Adjoa Adjei-Twum, President & CEO, EBII Group
• Mr. Francis Gborglah, Acting Head of Mission, Embassy of Ghana, Washington, D.C.
• Mr. Michael Serwadda, Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA)
Key Messages from the Current U.S. Administration
During his address and fireside chat, Mr. William Stevens, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State, shared key priorities from the Trump administration regarding U.S.-Africa relations:
• Equal Partnerships – A shift from aid to equitable, commercially-focused partnerships
• Trade-Led Development – Promoting trade, investment and innovation as the foundation for growth
• Respect for Sovereignty – Supporting African-led local development solutions. Mr. Stevens emphasized that Africa’s solutions are not only critical for Africa but also for the world.
• Diplomatic Accountability – Measuring U.S. embassies’ effectiveness in advancing trade and investment
