"At CEA we believe it is vital to involve US companies and investors to counter the misconceptions about investments on the continent, as Africa has some of the fastest growing economies and has significant investment opportunities for US companies. ", reads in a statement released in Johannesburg.
North American oil companies, it adds in the text, "can play an important role on the road to a low-carbon future on the continent, and can continue to lead some of the most important markets in the energy industry".
Pointing out "significant discoveries in multiple countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Ghana and others", CEA points out that "North American companies have successfully developed some of the most important projects on the continent, and one of the reasons for this it is the deep knowledge of the risks involved and the mitigation factors, as well as a strong connection to the country and the people where the project is inserted ".
The statement comes in preparation for the US-Africa Forum, organized by the consultancy Energy, Capital & Power together with CEA, under which five articles will be launched focusing on energy opportunities in Africa, the mitigation of political and security risks, deconstruction of perceived financial risks, mitigation of legal risks and prejudices about corruption, and how to mitigate operational and operational risks.
According to CEA, which cites figures from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, trade between the United States of America (USA) and the African continent dropped from $ 36.8 billion in 2019 to $ 32.6 billion. dollars last year.
Value that "represents less than 1 percent of all North American trade in goods", and which is below the Chinese bet, "which makes investments in the continent a matter of national security", the statement concludes.
