April 15, 2026
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Africa: After Practically 30 Years with AGOA—Passing the Baton

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Africa: After Practically 30 Years with AGOA—Passing the Baton


Accra — After practically three many years of lively engagement with the African Development and Alternative Act (AGOA), I just lately knowledgeable my distinguished Co-Chair of the AGOA Alliance, The Hon. Chris Stewart, the Alliance’s hardworking Secretariat — Tim Stewart of The Bennett Consulting Group and James Hyperlink of The Cormac Group — and my outstanding workforce at The Whitaker Group of my choice to step down from the AGOA Alliance, the place I’ve been honored to function Co-Chair.

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It was a well timed choice made after a lot prayer and reflection.


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My AGOA journey started lengthy earlier than the Act turned legislation. Collectively, with the late Hon. Jack Kemp and Mike Williams, we helped set up the then AGOA Coalition, collaborating with African Ambassadors, Members of the United States Congress and congressional employees, the African Union and others, earlier than the laws was handed. The AGOA Coalition, now The AGOA Alliance, stands even right this moment as an unstoppable bipartisan advocacy pressure devoted to advancing U.S.–Africa commerce.

A lot of the work over time — advocacy, organizing, and technique — was pushed by conviction somewhat than funding. With solely modest monetary assist from a number of companions, many people self-financed and volunteered our time as a result of we believed deeply in what AGOA might imply for each Africa and the USA.

Serving as one of many hands-on architects of AGOA within the U.S. Congress beneath the management of my mentor, the legendary late Congressman Charlie Rangel, stays one of many biggest honors of my life.

Rangel was among the many best legislators of our time. He taught me the artwork of disagreeing with out being unpleasant, the self-discipline of compromise, and the significance of holding agency when elementary rules had been at stake — particularly when the destinies of susceptible folks had been concerned.

These classes turned our North Star in constructing AGOA.

And constructing AGOA was not straightforward.

It required bringing collectively Republicans and Democrats throughout the political spectrum, leaders from each Sub-Saharan African nation and the African Union, and a coalition of enterprise leaders, suppose tanks, commerce associations, and civil society organizations from each side of the Atlantic.

At occasions the method was brutal. But it surely proved one thing essential:

A decided coalition — guided by religion, technique, and perseverance — can transfer even probably the most tough coverage ahead.

I’m grateful that this chapter ends with a significant milestone: the latest one-year extension of AGOA with retroactive advantages, enacted in an awfully difficult coverage and geopolitical atmosphere.

Whereas we hoped for extra time, the extension was nonetheless a serious achievement. In truth, it represents the primary U.S. commerce invoice enacted because the USMCA in 2019.

Folks typically ask how and why I stayed the course for thus lengthy.

My reply is easy: I believe in 30-year intervals.

AGOA’s influence has validated that lengthy view:

  • Over $500 billion in African exports have entered the USA duty-free beneath AGOA.
  • AGOA has supported a couple of million jobs throughout Africa, many held by ladies.
  • It has helped maintain 460,000 American jobs and develop U.S. exports to Africa to greater than $18 billion yearly.
  • It institutionalized high-level U.S.–Africa engagement, legally mandating cabinet-level dialogues that at the moment are routine however had been as soon as extraordinarily tough for African leaders to safe.

I additionally stayed the course as a result of a brand new technology of leaders was watching — lots of whom I later had the privilege to mentor, make use of, or encourage.

At the start of the AGOA battle, I instructed them one thing I nonetheless imagine right this moment:

“There is no such thing as a individual or group in Washington that can not be rolled if they’re unsuitable — and if you’re proper and extra decided.”

Right now, a brand new technology of leaders is able to carry AGOA ahead.

The subsequent chapter should concentrate on constructing an extended, extra predictable, and extra trendy AGOA, aligned with the African Continental Free Commerce Space and able to deepening commerce and funding between our continents.

Encouragingly, the AGOA Alliance, whereas it’s going to shut its doorways as nicely, has already developed a draft blueprint for this subsequent part that’s out there for all AGOA champions.

Advocates shouldn’t be discouraged by right this moment’s political local weather. Washington has at all times been turbulent. However progress remains to be attainable when the trigger is correct and the coalition is powerful.

Whereas I step away from AGOA advocacy, I’ll by no means step away from Africa.

I’m proud that The Whitaker Group, now greater than twenty years previous, has by no means been stronger in fulfilling its founding mission:

Advancing enterprise in Africa that drives prosperity, innovation, and transformation.

We proceed to actively convey investments and applied sciences and construct firms — remodeling landscapes throughout the continent.

I’m additionally persevering with my service on the boards of African Export-Import Financial institution (Afreximbank)‘s Fund for Export Growth in Africa (FEDA) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and stay deeply dedicated to mentoring the following technology of African ladies leaders.