British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for deeper trade ties with Africa on Monday, at a summit in the UK capital attended by the leaders of 21 African countries.
David Doyle reports.
UK courts deeper trade ties with Africa ahead of Brexit
(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, BORIS JOHNSON, SAYING: "Africa is the future and the UK has a huge and active role to play in that future." British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for deeper investment ties between the UK and Africa on Monday (January 20) at a summit attended by leaders from 21 African countries.
That event is taking place in the British capital London just days before the UK leaves the European Union, a seismic political and economic shift prompting Johnson to seek greater business ties outside Europe.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, BORIS JOHNSON, SAYING: "More than half the world's fastest, 15 fastest growing economies are in Africa.
Two thirds of African economies are expanding faster than the global average." At the event Johnson announced an end to British support for thermal coal mining or coal power plants overseas, saying it made no sense for Britain to cuts its carbon emissions at home while supporting coal-fired projects abroad.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, BORIS JOHNSON, SAYING: "To put it simply, not another penny of UK taxpayers' money will be directly invested in digging up coal or burning it for electricity, and instead we are going to focus on supporting the transition to lower and zero carbon alternatives." And the prime minister also highlighted deals worth billions of pounds with countries on the continent, underlining the roles British companies are playing in providing everything from smart street lighting in Nigeria to environmentally-friendly breweries in Kenya.