I have welcomed a visit by the Prime Minister to Africa, to deepen ties and boost investment.
The Prime Minister is set to visit South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya with senior ministers and a wide-ranging trade delegation. The trip, which is scheduled to last three days, will be PM Theresa May’s first official visit to the African continent at the UK’s Prime Minister.
The PM announced plans to boost the UK’s investment in Africa after Brexit, and is expected to say she wants Britain to overtake the US to become the G7's biggest investor in Africa by 2022. In a speech in Cape Town, the PM pledged £4bn in support for African economies, to create jobs for young people. Promising an extra £4bn in state investment - which she expects to be matched by the private sector - she said while the UK could not match the "economic might" of some foreign investors - such as China or the US - it offered a unique "high quality and breadth" of investment.
This is an important chance to strengthen our partnership with key African countries and to realise the enormous opportunities for trade in global markets. We have a unique opportunity as we move towards Brexit to invest in and work alongside African nations and to reap the many mutual benefits of a strong trading and economic relationship.