UK looks to Africa for trade ties after Brexit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson touted UK as an ideal business partner for Africa on Monday  as UK prepares for post-Brexit dealings with world.

But Britain faces tough challenges as it seeks to assert itself on a continent with several of world’s fastest-growing ecomies and whose youthful 1.2 billion population is set to double by 2050.

Far fewer of Africa’s 54 hes of state or government are attending first U.K.-Africa Investment Summit than dozens who attended first Russia-Africa summit last year or garings China regularly holds.

U.K.'s department for international tre says two-way tre with Africa in year ending in second quarter of 2019 was $46 billion. Meanwhile, Africa’s two-way tre with China, continent’s top tring partner, was $208 billion in 2019.

Johnson told delegates at conference it was “an event that is long overdue.”

He ackwledged that British officials and companies needed to work to convince African nations to do business with U.K.

“We have divine right to that business," he said. "This is a competitive world. You have may suitors."

Britain is due to leave European Union on Jan. 31, and Johnson said U.K. would become a free-tring “global Britain after Brexit.”

He pledged that post-Brexit immigration system would "put people before passports," ackwledging a common frustration across Africa.

Britain says 16 African leers are attending Monday's summit in London, including leers of Nigeria, Congo, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana and Rwanda.

Aside from sluggishness of its top two ecomies, South Africa and Nigeria, Africa is showing ecomic momentum as recently launched African Continental Free Tre Area gars steam.

Last year, ecomic growth slowed in all geographic areas except Africa, United Nations reported last week in its annual World Ecomic Situation and Prospects 2020.

U.N. said GDP growth in Africa is projected to reach 3.2% in 2020 and 3.5% in 2021. And 25 African countries are projected to achieve ecomic growth of at least 5% this year.