We talked about a variety of different tools available to the AU, to the African community, to civil society, and to the United States.

Term limits encourage the development of new leadership and institutionalize a democratic process.

I'm pleased to chair this hearing of the African Affairs Subcommittee.

How do we ensure the successful implementation of democracy and governance initiatives?

I am grateful, Chairman Durbin, for your crafting a bill that insists on training, on data collection, and on a narrowly crafted response to a significant problem.

The elections, while far from perfect, marked a dramatic improvement from the violence and lack of transparency that had marred previous Nigerian elections.

My last question for Ambassador Carson would simply be what do you think we ought to be doing, both in the Senate and as a government as a whole, in terms of improving our bilateral relationship with Nigeria?

I am pleased to chair this hearing of the African Affairs Subcommittee, which will focus on Nigeria and pressing issues of security, governance, and trade.

That is, I think, an important part of our having an all-of-government strategy to accessing these important and growing markets.

I would say this trade mission, which went to four countries, focused on the energy sector.

In Delaware, where I'm from, we've had some real success in re-opening the Delaware City Refinery which was idled.

There was a study that was recently released by DBL Investors that looks at the historical role of Federal subsidies in shaping the energy market.