As with the rest of the world, NABA’s modus operandi had to change overnight in mid-March. The pandemic has impacted our member community to various degrees. For some, relying on travel and tourism is still a very challenging time – while others have been less affected. For our African partners, the pandemic has brought detrimental economic setbacks, accelerated the use of digital tools – and the foreign direct investments into Africa have dropped by 18 percent in 2020.

Today, 1st of June, NHO and their Action Group on Business & development will present their policy document to Norway’s Minister of International Development, Dag Inge Ulstein. This will take place during NHO/Innovation Norway/Norad’s annual conference on internationalization and development.

“The way African countries have joined forces, both creating a continental free trade area, and in the fight against COVID-19, to me, this is the new Africa - a continent working in solidarity to uplift the wellbeing of its people”, said Dr. Aloysius Ordu, Director of the Africa Growth Programme at the Brookings Institution, when he joined the group of distinguished speakers taking part in NABA and Norfund’s annual “Africa in 2021 - what to expect?”

NABA’s annual Summit took place last week as the virtual Nordic-African Business Webcast, with a record number of African delegates. 50 distinguished speakers, including CEOs, politicians and sector experts, took part in more than 17 sessions focusing on how African – Nordic business communities best can re-connect, re-engage and recalibrate business strategies.