Commerce secretary visits Nigeria, Rwanda

United States Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker arrived in Lagos on Monday with a group of executives to explore business opportunities in Nigeria and Rwanda.    United States Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker arrived in Lagos on Monday with a group of executives from the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa to explore commercial opportunities for American businesses in Nigeria and Rwanda.
   Specifically, the council will report back to the White House with recommendations and policy ideas for encouraging more trade between the United States and the two African countries. 
   “President Obama and I are convinced that the American private sector, working in partnership with the African business community, can help address some of the continent’s most pressing challenges, including building modern infrastructure, creating jobs and opportunity for young people, and expanding access to education and the Internet,” Pritzker said in a statement. 
   She spoke to Nigerian business leaders on Monday at an event hosted by the Tony Elumelu Foundation and United Bank for Africa.
   From Lagos, the delegation will travel to Kigali, Rwanda. 
   According to the Commerce Department, the advisory council members specifically selected Nigeria and Rwanda for this trip. 
   Nigeria’s middle class of roughly 50 million people is expected to help grow the country into one of the top-10 global economies by 2050.
   The Commerce Department noted, “Rwanda has taken some of the most progressive steps in Africa to promote economic competitiveness and has established itself as a leader in the East African Community,” including implementing a single customs territory along its northern border to reduce the transit-times for goods and making investments in its transportation and energy infrastructure.