Energy Secretary Rick Perry next week will take President Trump’s energy dominance message to Africa, where he will give the keynote address at a major oil conference in Capetown, South Africa.
Perry also will be looking to use the conference to meet with African energy ministers to advance prospects for energy development between the U.S. and the continent.
“I am honored to participate in Africa Oil Week to represent U.S. energy interests in the region and underscore this administration’s commitment to strengthening our African energy partnerships,” Perry said in a Wednesday statement announcing the trip. “I look forward to working discussions with our allies in South Africa and across the continent to advance mutually beneficial safe and sustainable energy development.”
Much of the African continent struggles to provide basic electricity and is prime for investment in power plants and energy development. At the same time, some countries there are large energy providers with some of the highest valued petroleum in the world. They also have some of the highest rates of poverty in the world, even though Nigeria, Angola, and other countries are leading global energy producers.
Egypt, Libya, and Algeria are leading producers in North Africa, which is typically seen as a distinct and much more developed region than sub-Saharan countries.
In addition to his keynote address, Perry will discuss U.S. oil and gas development, while highlighting the Energy Department’s “commitment to bilateral energy partnerships with our allies in Africa.”
