Nigeria, Sept. 8 -- Since the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United States (US) government signed off on the Strategic Infrastructure and Investment Working Group (SIWG) in January, the platform has begun to take shape. Projects are being identified and institutional mechanisms built, as both sides test each other's ability to deliver on their promises.

The SIWG is a promising new initiative aimed at securing investment inflows and developing trade in Africa, notably from the US private sector.

Signs of progress include an agreement between AUC Chairperson Mahmood Youssouf and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau that the SIWG will align US capital and financing tools with AU-backed infrastructure. This will be inform...