FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          

PRESS RELEASE

2007 U.S.-Africa Infrastructure Conference

Washington, D.C. (May 10, 2007) –   The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) is pleased to announce its second U.S.-Africa Infrastructure Conference from October 8-10, 2007 to be held at the Grand Hyatt hotel on 1000 H St. NW, Washington, D.C.   Last year CCA successfully launched its first conference focused on African infrastructure, attracting more than 400 business executives and government representatives from Africa and the U.S.

“The first U.S.-Africa Infrastructure Conference exceeded all our expectations. This year, we will again bring together experts, donors, financiers, and the private sector, to explore business partnerships and discuss challenges and opportunities. We will focus on presenting tangible, sector-specific business opportunities to participants,” said Stephen Hayes, President of CCA.

Aptly titled “Building on Stability,” this year’s conference will highlight African countries that have laid the foundations for investment in infrastructure development through stable and democratic governments, and sound economic policies.

A key aspect of this year’s conference will be the increased focus on risk management in Africa. Experts will discuss best practices, and strategies to minimize risks.   In addition, business opportunities in key growth sectors including water, security, energy, roads and rails, transportation, as well as information and communications technology (ICT), will be highlighted.

The private sector invested over $4.5 billion in infrastructure in Africa during 2005, according to 2006 annual report of the Infrastructure Consortium on Africa. (www.icafrica.org). Almost 75% was invested in mobile telephony, but some countries also received investments from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and from concessionaires taking over the management of rails, ports, and power distribution.  China has committed to lending $5 billion to various African countries over the next three years, mostly for infrastructure investments. 

“The U.S. private sector is leading the planning process for this conference and we have already formed a planning committee. We welcome more private sector participation in designing the program,” Hayes added.

Inquiries can be directed to

CCA, established in 1993, is a nonpartisan 501c(3)  membership organization of nearly 200 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa.

Visit CCA's website at africacncl.org.

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