The 2024 Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Spring Conference came off successfully on Thursday, April 18, 2024 at the Capitol Hill, USA.
The Conference, which was on the theme: Timely re-authorisation and enhancement of AGOA beyond 2025, saw Jonathan Jackson, Congressman; Florie Liser (President & CEO Corporate Council on Africa); Fred Oladeinde (Chairman, AGOA CSO Network) and Dr Olivier Kamanzi (CEO Africa Global Chamber of Commerce) speak on array of issues relating to the implementation of the AGOA which is due to expire in September 2025.
Other speakers are Robert Telchin (Director of African Affairs, Executive Office of the President); Lars Benson (Regional Director for Africa, Center for International Private Enterprise); Melvin Foote (Founder & President, Constituency for Africa) as well as ambassadors from African countries.
Ghana’s Member of Parliament for Amenfi East, Akwasi Oppong Fosu, who is also a former Local Government and Rural Development Minister, moderated the historic event. 
The hybrid event featured high-level speakers from civil society organizations, private sector companies, government institutions, and more from the U.S. and across Africa committed to expanding U.S.-Africa trade and economic cooperation.
This year’s conference addressed topics such as ‘Re-authorisation and enhancement of AGOA beyond 2025′, ‘AGOA eligibility’, ‘Expansion of U.S. Africa trade and economic cooperation as well as ‘Targeted sectors for investment by diaspora-owned businesses.
The AGOA Civil Society (CSO) Network is a consortium of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), small-to-medium -sized business representatives, chambers of commerce and other groups in the United States and Africa that are interested in the successful application of AGOA for the benefit of the American and African people.
The Network was established by 102 member organisations from the United States, Mauritius, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia, Mali, Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo that were in attendance during the AGOA Civil Society Forum on January 17, 2003, in Phoenix, Mauritius.
The AGOA CSO Network’s focus is on increasing the volume and quality of African exports under AGOA and educating stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean on this trade policy and its advantages.
