MISS AFRICA USA DELEGATION AT THE 9TH SULLIVAN SUMMIT IN MALABO, EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Boarding the Charter Flight from Washington DC to Malabo Equatorial Guinea for the 9th Sullivan Summit Mrs Hope Sullivan Masters, President of The Leon H Sullivan Foundation A delegation 10 from the Miss Africa USA Pageant, invited by the President of the Leon H Sullivan Foundation and Chair Lady of the Miss Africa USA Pageant, Mme Hope Sullivan Masters, we embarked on a journey that became not only an eye opener but a myth debunker and a revelation contrary to stereotypes and misconceptions. The President of Equatorial Guinea called it ‘ Demystification of Equatorial Guinea” I call it the ‘The Simple Truth About Equatorial Guinea.” Politics Aside, I want to focus this write up on what makes the world go round, ie Money, Business, investment and more. Contrary to misconceptions that a lot of people gave me before I boarded that chartered flight with my crew, when I landed in Malabo, i had to take a reality check and adjust my brain cells to conceive what my eyes were witnessing and balance with what my mind had perceived. I was told too many times that Malabo is like Buea a small city in Cameroon and Buea was even better because it has developed with the Universities coming in. I was told Malabo had one straight street that goes up and comes down and surrounded by evergreen tropical forest. Well if you have not visited Malabo in the last 3years I repeat the President’s sentiments “come visit or shut the hell up” (sorry that is how i feel for those who kept telling me what i see is fake……it is not fake). Sofitel Sipopo luxury hotel. Soon after deplaning in Malabo, buses were lined up ready to shuttle delegates to their various hotels. First we checked in at the Hilton and I began to ask myself where is the real Malabo? I felt like I was still in the United States. Later the same day my crew was moved to an even better hotel, the Sofitel Presidential in Malabo. Besides the Delegates for the Sullivan Foundation who were all Black Americans Entrepreneurs, every one else in the hotel was a different color. The Chinese, The Brazilians, the White Americans and Europeans. I began my networking, Hey how are you and what brings you to Malabo????????? God knows how many Petroleum Experts, Engineers and Business People I met. All doing business and sharing their experiences. The same people from countries whose government and media are slamming the Equatorial Guinea Government, are pushing their agenda to take over the business of making money in EG……..makes no sense to me. It just means that Capitalism has no conscience. The whole city seems like it is under a construction emergency aka 911 construct. Guess who the builders are? White Americans, Brazilians and the Chinese. One businessman told me there are 25000 White Americans working in EG in the pipelines, construction and other engineering fields. The Laborers make anything up $250,000 per year, ie Laborers not your certified or qualified engineer. They work 6 months and off 6 months..come home and buy a house cash and return to oil fields………how is that? Tell me once more this is a country run by a tyrant? Again it just did not add up. The Sullivan Summit aimed at turning things around and encouraging Africans and Africa Diaspora (African Americans) who have the might and power to go home and get involved, invest and do business in Africa. Equatorial Guinea is reforming, re-building and developing with the speed of lightening. It is an investor’s haven right now. Remember when Dubai was a gold rush, well that is what EG has become. President Obiang Nguema Mbassogo has made a commitment to encourage the diaspora to come visit his country and do business and gain citizenship. The doors are open he said, we welcome you. If you do your work you get paid, money is not a problem. The people are not hungry, the government subsidizes health care, food and now they are building houses to be redistributed to the general population. We did not see the 2nd Vice President, H. E Teodorin Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of President Obiang who is highly favored as the next President. He was out in the villages on a massive campaign to change the roofs of all village houses, installing new zinc roofs on all homes. He was absent from the Summit because he was helping the villages improve standard of living. If you have any plan to do business in Equatorial Guinea and if you consider doing business healthcare, transportation, banking, Technology, import/export, education, service provision, tourism, Fashion and Beauty, Entertainment, the time is now. Discover Equatorial Guinea, Africa’s Newest Paradise. If you have an American Passport you do not need a visa to travel. Equatorial Guinea is Open for Business (President Obiang Nguema Mbassogo)