ECOWAS-China Business Forum opens in Accra

Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday opened the second ECOWAS-China Business Forum with the hope that a strong partnership would emerge to enhance production capacities, address supply side constraints and boost intra-West Africa trade.

“Additionally, this forum should provide us with a platform to better advance the cause for greater equity in the global economic arena so that more and more countries in the ECOWAS zone could enter the highway of development,” Mr Mahama said in a speech read on his behalf at the opening session.

The Second ECOWAS-China Business Forum is focused on attracting additional Chinese investments into the power sector and development, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, agro-food and allied services, mining, as well as information and communications technology (ICT).

The two-day forum will see presentations by key business, trade and investment discussions by private sector and government operatives from the two sides and one-on-one networking sessions.

Vice President Mahama called on governments in the sub-region to provide every opportunity to the private sector operators to play their role in stimulating growth and employment in their respective economies.

He said while governments had a role to play, in the long run sustainability would only be achieved through the growth and expanded output of the private sector.

Vice-President Mahama expressed the hope that participants on both sides would understand the business opportunities available in the ECOWAS zone and equip themselves with the right strategies and plans to maximise returns on their investments.

Mr Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, President of ECOWAS Commission, said the regional body was ready and prepared to work with China to take the relationship to the next appreciable level that would be sustained with more actions and mutual benefits.

“It is also important to state that in conformity with our vision of an ECOWAS of the people, we want to assure China and our private sector operators that ECOWAS will build with you, a mutually beneficial and sustainable partnership through which, the social and economic development of the people shall be and remain a first-class priority,” he said.

Mr Ouedraogo expressed the hope that the forum would help develop a strong partnership to effectively promote economic development between China and ECOWAS.

Mr Yu Ping, Vice Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, underscored China’s commitment to her trade relations with Africa and that the forum would help to strengthen this relationship.

The maiden event in China in 2008 saw over 1,000 participants from West Africa, including 200 private sector operators and 150 government officials and focused on stimulating Chinese investments in energy, mining and petrochemicals, construction, textile and light industry, as well as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, financial services, machinery, electronics and telecommunications.**