Africa is expected to receive $2 billion worth of investments from multinational conglomerate GE (General Electric).

GE specialises in building the likes of appliances, lighting and power systems.

And GE officials made the investment announcement at the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington DC. The investment is planned to happen by 2018.

According to a press statement, GE plans to invest in facility development, skills training, and sustainability initiatives across Africa.

GE also stated that the Africa investment strategy will focus on building infrastructure; delivering localised solutions to customers; and capacity building by providing skills training.

In terms of infrastructure GE plans to work closely with African conglomerate Dangote Industries and collaborate on major projects – in power generation, rail transport, and the oil and gas sector.

Chairman and chief executive officer at GE Jeff Immelt said, “I am proud of our 100-year history in Africa. Through investments such as our new multi-modal manufacturing facility in Nigeria, Algeria gas turbine manufacturing, and our customer innovation center in South Africa, we remain a committed partner to Africa’s sustainable growth.”

In the statement it was further revealed that GE plans to help increase access, reliability, and affordability of core infrastructure throughout the continent.

Furthermore the GE Foundation will invest $20 million over the next five years in health programmes in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi to train nurse anesthetists and biomedical equipment technicians, among other health care initiatives.

Nabil Habayeb, president and chief executive officer of GE Middle East, North Africa & Turkey said, “Together with our regional partners, GE is elevating transformative ideas that have the potential to solve local challenges by lending scale and resources. GE is committed to empowering the communities in which it operates across the continent.”