MISSION STATEMENT

The Foundation for Democracy in Africa (FDA) is a development organization committed to promoting participatory democracy, economic growth and sustainable development throughout Africa.  Founded in 1994, FDA is a 501c 3 not for profit, non-governmental, non-partisan institution headquartered in Washington, DC with offices in Miami, Florida, USA.

FDA’s mission is to: (1) implement culturally sensitive programs designed to strengthen and enhance the fundamental principles of democracy, freedom and economic plurality throughout Africa, and (2) integrate emerging African democracies into the mainstream of the global economy, thus cultivating the pathway for peace and prosperity in Africa.

FDA carries out its mission by developing innovative and culturally sensitive strategies and programs that are designed to enhance human and institutional capacity, create opportunities that reduce poverty, foster democracy and good governance, and accelerate development in select sectors of Africa’s economy. FDA also supports development through education, and by providing hands on technical assistance to existing and future leaders in civil society, government, and the private sector. We provide expert technical assistance to strengthen the rule of law, democracy and governance, elections, elections administration, and political processes through education and training.

In 2001, FDA was awarded a grant from the US Agency for International Development (USAID)  entitled the West Africa Economic Support Program (WAESP). This  program provided training on US-Africa trade issues, as well as, the efficacy of public-private partnerships as a means of enhancing a country’s ability to conduct trade under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).  The project included activities at the national level in Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Benin and in four states in Nigeria. The West Africa Economic Support Program was highly successful and USAID extended FDA’s grant for this program from three years to five years. WAESP was also one of the first projects funded by USAID to provide training and technical assistance under AGOA, and as a result of its delivery, the AGOA Civil Society Network was created.

The AGOA Renewal and Improvement Act of 2024  was introduced by Senators Chris Coons & James Risch on April 11, 2024. 

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AfrICANDO 2023, our 24th Annual US-Africa Trade & Investment Conference and Expo as held on-site at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Miami Airport & Convention Center (MACC), 711 NW 72nd Avenue, Miami, Florida, USA, and virtually.

THEME: The Diaspora: Accelerating U.S.-Africa Trade, Investment, and Technological Innovation

The following topics were discussed:

Trade and Investment  ●  Health  ● Infrastructure ● Technology ● Tourism

Attendees acquired knowledge to:

• Learn how to make MONEY using the Benefits of the AGOA
• Tap Into the over $20 Billion of Trade in Goods under AGOA
• Identify New Markets to Sell your Products and Technologies
• Increase Your Sales by Accessing One of the World’s Fastest Growing Markets -Africa
• Establish Strategic Partnerships and Network with High-Level Contacts from the U.S., Africa

Download the Conference At A Glance

The  8th Annual AGOA CSO Network Spring Conference took place on April 13, 2023 at The Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University, University Student Center, 800 21st Street, NW, 3rd Floor in Washington, DC from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm and online.

The theme for this year’s Spring Conference was Extending AGOA to 2035: Using Trade toStrengthen U.S.-Africa Strategic Alliances.  

The conference addressed the following topics:

1. Extending AGOA to 2035
2. AGOA Eligibility and Inclusive Economic Growth
3. Expanding Number of  AGOA-Eligible Countries
4. Expansion of U.S. Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation

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Petition for the Extension of AGOA

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was signed into law in 2000 and has been the foundation of U.S. economic policy and business-related engagement with the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) since its enactment. AGOA provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for over 1,800 products, in addition to the more than 5,000 products that are eligible for duty-free entry under the Generalized System of Preferences(GSP) program.

In 2002, 2004, and 2006, Congress passed, and the executive branch implemented legislative enhancements of AGOA. And in 2015, Congress passed the Trade Preferences Extension Act (TPEA), updating and extending the program to 2025.

COVID-19’s economic impact presents a threat to US-Africa trade and investment, U.S. – Africa strategic alliances, and gains made over the last two decades using the benefits of AGOA.

AGOA has been a long-term commitment with broad bipartisan support; however, it expires in 2025. As a result, we launched the advocacy campaign for the 10-year extension of AGOA during our Roundtable Discussion on the Future of AGOA on December 13, 2022, in Washington, DC, USA, and virtually on the margins of the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit. The campaign advocating for a ten-year extension of AGOA benefits aligns with African Union’s Agenda 2063.

We appreciate your interest in AGOA! We invite you to join our petition to the 118th Congress of the United States and the Biden-Harris Administration for the extension of AGOA by signing our request to extend AGOA to 2035.

Our 23rd Annual U.S. – Africa Trade and Investment Conference/Expo – AfrICANDO 2022, took place October 10-13, 2022, in Miami, FL 33126, USA, and virtually.

The topics discussed during AfrICANDO 2022 included U.S. -Africa Trade and Investment; Health Security: Health is Wealth; Climate and Food Security; Tourism; the Miami Gateway Initiative and Pharma Hub; and, Export and Development Finance. The event will include Seminars, Exhibits, B2B Matchmaking, and a Gala Awards Dinner.

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