Commonwealth’s Lord Marland visits Akufo-Addo

Former UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy and current Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, Rt. Honourable the Lord Marland of Odstock, has paid a courtesy call on the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Speaking from Jubilee House, the seat of Government, Lord Marland noted that the meeting was a continuation of a conversation that started at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London. He described Ghana as a star of Africa and an exemplar state that could boast of being one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

He further added that he was pleased that the Government of Ghana had agreed to become a strategic partner to the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council. This act, he believes, will allow it to further tap into a plethora of unique business, trade and investment networks that only the Commonwealth can provide.

Lord Marland concluded by commending the Government of Ghana for the importance that it has placed on promoting transparency and accountability through the introduction of digitization.

On his part, the President of the Republic of Ghana welcomed Lord Marland to Ghana for the first time. He commended the work of the Commonwealth and its Secretary – General Baroness Scotland, in promoting the values of the Commonwealth and having a positive influence across its over 2.4 billion citizens, 60% of whom are under the age of 30.

The President added that in line with the Governement’s “Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda”, his government is committed to the Commonwealth of Nations’ and its objective to promoting trade, business and prosperity amongst its members.

Whilst in Ghana, the Lord Marland also paid courtesy calls to the Vice – President of Ghana, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Honourable Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori – Atta and the Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry Alan Kyeremanten. He also met several captains of Ghana’s industries, whom he hoped will aggregate together, to form a much-needed Ghanaian hub of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council. Forming the hub, according to Lord Marland will provide.

Strategic Partners with the ability to attract high quality trade and investment opportunities, create prosperity by supporting the development of enterprise through capacity building and mentoring and enhanced access to markets.

It will also allow members of the hub to represent their views of the private sector to the Commonwealth, its member Governments and wider international community and help establish the “conditions for growth” in Commonwealth countries and work to improve economic governance, transparency and accountability.

About CWEIC

The CWEIC was established in July 2014 with the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat and member Governments to be the Commonwealth’s apex business organisation. It is a not for profit membership organisation with a mandate from Commonwealth Heads of Government to promote intra-Commonwealth trade, investment and the role of the private sector across the 53 member countries. We have a small secretariat based at Marlborough House in Westminster and Guildhall in the City of London.

CWEIC is responsible for organising the Commonwealth Business Forum alongside the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting on alternative years.

Our day to day activity focuses primarily upon serving the interests of our members. We run a number of different scale and format events each year, providing Members with networking opportunities, access to leading Commonwealth figures from the worlds of government and business, and the chance to shape the Commonwealth’s business policies and agenda.