Togbe Afede with an official of the Zimbabwean government
The World Trade Centre (WTC), Accra, has embarked on a trade and investment mission to Zimbabwe in southern Africa.
The delegation, which was led by the Chairman of the WTC, Togbe Afede XIV, comprised business leaders with interests in finance, oil and gas, mineral exploration, aviation and power. They were accompanied by Her Excellency, Pavelyn Tendai Musaka, the Zimbabwean High Commissioner to Ghana.
The trip is a step towards improving trade and investment relations between Ghana and Zimbabwe; with the goal of bolstering inter-Africa trade in general.
It is the first trade mission to be undertaken by the WTC, Accra, to an African country and the 20th since its establishment.
The delegation was received on arrival at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe Airport, by Ghana’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Eric Odoi-Anim, and Chief Fortune Chirumbira of the Masvingo Province and the President of Council of Chiefs in Zimbabwe.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines, Togbe Afede XIV stressed the need for intra-Africa trade in ensuring socio-economic development of the African continent.
He bemoaned the low level of inter-Africa trade and Africa’s volume of global trade which accounted for less than two per cent of total global trade, in spite of the fact that Africa accounted for more than a fifth of the world’s population.
Togbe Afede XIV also said there was the need to eschew selfishness amongst African countries and to engender collaboration in what he called the one+one = three effect.
He commended Zimbabwe for her smooth transition of power from former President Robert Mugabe to President Munangagwa government, which was admirable.
Togbe Afede XIV also commended the Zimbabwean government’s “Rapid Results Initiative” which was described by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a major step towards bringing Zimbabwe back to the level of its immediate neighbours.
Minister of Industry Commerce and Enterprise Development, Harare, Dr Michael Bimha, was grateful to the delegation for choosing Zimbabwe as the first destination for WTC, Accra, trade missions in Africa.
He agreed with Togbe Afede that as a first step of Zimbabwe’s readiness to be opened to the world, “the government of Zimbabwe should work with private sector to embrace the world trade centre concept to announce Zimbabwe to the world.”
The delegation visited the Zimbabwean Investment Authority, the National Trade Development and Promotion Organisation of Zimbabwe (Zimtrade), the Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning and Ministry of Mines of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwean Energy Regulatory Authority and several other government agencies.
The delegation also met with business counterparts and potential partners across Zimbabwe’s banking and finance, mining, power, agriculture and agro-processing sectors.
