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Reta Jo Lewis, former Chairman, President and CEO of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) will participate as a speaker at African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025, taking place from September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town. Her participation follows a landmark visit to Angola in December last year alongside then-President Joe Biden, where she championed a new era of U.S.-Africa economic diplomacy and celebrated over $2.9 billion in EXIM-backed investments supporting the country’s clean energy, infrastructure and telecommunications sectors.

During the visit, Lewis, alongside President Biden and his Angolan counterpart President João Lourenço, reinforced the U.S. commitment to strategic African partnerships under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment initiative. The visit highlighted transformational projects including EXIM financing for two solar power plants by clean energy firm Sun Africa. During her tenure, Lewis helped drive EXIM’s Africa portfolio from just $109 million in 2022 to a record $3.6 billion in authorizations across 2023 and 2024.

AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit https://aecweek.com for more information about this exciting event.

In the wake of deepened bilateral economic ties with Angola, EXIM approved a $297 million transaction to export Boeing 787-10 aircraft and GE Aerospace engines in July 2025 to TAAG Angola Airlines. The transaction reflects Lewis’ longstanding commitment to connecting U.S. innovation with African infrastructure needs. The deal also underscores how EXIM’s tailored financial instruments can drive mutual economic benefit, expanding air connectivity in Africa while supporting U.S. industry and bolstering transatlantic trade corridors.

Meanwhile, a U.S. backed consortium led by Amer-Con Corporation announced last June it will construct and operate 22 grain silo terminals along Angola’s Lobito Corridor, significantly boosting the country’s food logistics and agri-logistics capacity. The strategic infrastructure project, supported by EXIM, is set to enhance supply chain efficiency and promote sustainable agricultural growth in the region.

Lewis’ tenure at EXIM also laid the groundwork for the reactivation of EXIM’s largest-ever transaction – a $4.7 billion direct loan to support U.S. equipment and services for the Mozambique LNG project, which was officially revived in March 2025 after a four-year delay. The investment supports the continent’s transition to cleaner energy sources while enhancing Mozambique’s position as a key energy exporter, catalyzing job creation, skills development and broader socioeconomic development across southern Africa.

“EXIM’s renewed commitment to projects like Mozambique LNG highlights the transformative power of strategic financing in Africa’s energy landscape. Under Reta Jo Lewis’ visionary leadership, the firm is helping to unlock vital infrastructure that accelerates sustainable development and energy independence across the continent. AEW 2025 offers a unique opportunity to highlight how leaders like Lewis are driving powerful private-private partnerships for Africa’s lasting prosperity,” states NJ Ayik, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

With experience in global business, international trade and economic diplomacy, Lewis’s participation at AEW: Invest in African Energies is expected to spotlight how U.S. financing can unlock value across Africa’s energy, transport and industrial ecosystems.