In order to promote AfreximBank's mandate in Ghana and to help the banking and business communities have a greater knowledge of the bank's products, the first-ever three-day Ghana Trade Road show has been organised by AfreximBank and Oakwood Green Africa.
The theme of the first Ghana RoadShow is "Supporting the Africa Trade Agenda-Ensuring the Last Mile."
After the Pan African Payments and Settlements System (PAPSS) was successfully launched in Accra earlier this year, a number of negotiations with the Central Bank of Ghana were began, and those discussions will be brought together at the event.
Additionally, the Roadshow will have a number of forums to educate the Ghanaian market to various finance projects being carried out by Afreximbank, the AfCFTA, and its partners in their effort to change Africa's commerce, and what part Ghana may play in it.
In an effort to increase intra-African trade facilitation capacity, it is being organised in partnership with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, the Ghana Free Zones Authority, the AfCFTA Secretariat, GCB and CBG, for banks and non-bank financial Institutions, as well as the business community in Ghana.
The mandate and strategic initiatives of Afreximbank, the Pan African Payments and Settlements System (PAPSS), the MANSA KYC Repository (MANSA), the implementation of the AfCFTA, strategic policies, and using Ghana as the hub for the realisation of its drive for the development of value chains across various selected sectors are among the topics that will be discussed over the course of the three days.
At the opening ceremony, Herbert Krapa, the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industries, declared that Africa holds the solution to all of its problems and that it will soon no longer be dependent on anybody else for anything good.
He claimed that although Africa is a continent of abundance, our contribution in world commerce is not very impressive.
3 percent of commerce between Africa is around 17% compared to 68 percent for zero and 59 percent for Asia, and our yearly infrastructure deficit is about $100 billion US.
According to Mr. Krarper, if small market fragmentation difficulties are overcome and the continent's enormous natural resources are used to add value in order to achieve economic diversification and industrialisation, equitable development for all Africans would advance.
Fortunately, he said, Afreximbank has risen above the challenge and embraced it, much to the satisfaction of stakeholders, the private sector, member states, and the bank's partnership with Oakwood Green Africa. If the AfCFTA is successful, he said, the continent benefits because strategic partnerships have become unavoidable.
Mr. Yofi Grant, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, advised attendees to seize the chances presented and take part in the building of AfCFTA history.
The Secretary General of the AfCFTA, Mr. Wamkele Meme, URGERED African nations to concentrate on industrialisation in order to support the economic growth of the continent.
Gabriel Edger, managing partner of Oakwood Green Africa Limited, urged African nations to cooperate and promote regional commerce to strengthen their economies.