Mahmoud Bah @ the U.S.-Africa Business Summit, Luanda, Angola
By Mahmoud Bah, Chief Operating Officer, Corus International
Last week, I was honored to speak at the U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Luanda, Angola, organized by Corporate Council on Africa. I joined other development leaders as a panelist at the “Supercharging Public-Private Philanthropic Partners” session. Well attended by representatives of African Governments and private sector leaders doing business in Africa, everyone was there for the same reason I was — to figure out what comes next in this new chapter of U.S.-Africa business relations.
“The development of your country is not to be outsourced”
There is no crystal ball to show us the future — but we need not wonder. We know the development landscape is forever changed. We know there will be challenges ahead, but there will also be tremendous opportunities.
African countries must reimagine their economic growth priorities, undertake hard institutional reform, and emphasize capacity building to unlock the continent’s remarkable strength and potential.
To do this, I emphasized during the panel that leaders must galvanize country ownership because development is not to be outsourced to countries other than the one they are leading.
Development gains can only be sustained when governments are committed, have invested in capacity building and made the necessary policy and institutional reforms. Only then can the support from private partners like Corus be leveraged into truly transformational impact.
Take the example of Cote d’Ivoire. The government decided that they would provide Universal Health Coverage for their entire population, requiring each person to pay 1000 FCFA ($1.75 USD) per month. They have enrolled 62% of the population in this program so far. We are exploring ways that Corus can support the Government of Cote d’Ivoire in expanding health services to underserved areas. They have demonstrated ownership for this process, put in place necessary institutional reform, and created the right enabling environment to make this type of partnership successful.
Channeling Africa’s youth energy into economic fuel
During the panel, I emphasized that Africa's young people represent one of the continent's greatest strengths. With 60% of its population under the age of 30, Africa boasts the youngest demographic among all continents. This youthful population embodies boundless energy and a resilient entrepreneurial spirit. By making strategic investments in Africa’s youth and advancing industrialization, this demographic dividend can be further amplified, unlocking unparalleled opportunities for growth and development on the continent.
Recognizing both the fundamental right of young adults to earn a livelihood and their immense potential to fuel economic growth, Corus is deeply committed to fostering positive youth development through our development efforts. For example, in Burkina Faso, Corus organization Lutheran World Relief is implementing an innovative Producer Enterprise Agent (PEA) model to deliver training on production, post-harvest handling, and processing to sesame cooperative and union members. The PEAs are a new cadre of market-driven professionals, mostly young adults, that are embedded in the community but serve as a commercial bridge to the market, embodying a local foundation for increased trade. The PEAs have been instrumental in boosting sesame yields — from 4,000 metric tons in 2016 to 166,000 metric tons in 2025 — and increasing sesame sales to 163,836 metric tons, valued at $240 million, up from $2 million in 2016.
Strong partnerships chart new paths to impact
The evolving priorities of large donors toward private sector investments and business-oriented deals signal an era of transformation. This shift has the potential to fuel national resource mobilization and rationalization, improved productivity, as well as innovation and practical solutions.
Corus organizations have spent over 75 years collaborating with governments, farmers, health care professionals, and communities to deliver impactful results—from boosting agricultural productivity to strengthening market and health systems. Our commitment to these partnerships remains steadfast despite changing times. Whether advancing youth development, supporting country ownership, or fostering resilient economies, the Corus family of organizations stands ready to walk alongside our partners as we chart new paths towards transformational impact together.