LAGOS, Nigeria — Nearly 50 African leaders and delegates have arrived in Washington this week for a key summit hosted by President Biden. It is the centerpiece of a major effort to reset and improve U.S. ties with African countries, whose relations with China and increasingly Russia have drawn scrutiny.
Over the last decade, the continent's geopolitical profile has grown to be seen as a vital region, with the fastest growing population in the world. A quarter of the Earth's projected 9.5 billion people will be in Africa, up from 10% of the global population in 1950.
On Monday ahead of the summit, the White House announced plans to commit $55 billion in economic, security and health investment in Africa over the next three years, as well as naming a new special envoy to focus on these issues.
