Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, Namibia's high commissioner to Ghana, has pledged to strengthen economic ties between Namibian and Ghanaian entities.
She said that the improved linkages will improve corporate operations and attract new foreign direct investment.
On June 29, she made such statement at a celebration in Tema to commemorate the arrival of Ghana's first shipment of Namibian beef.
A collaboration between the Namibia Meat Corporation (Meatco) and Abanga Farm and Food Systems, Ghana, the exclusive distributor of Namibian beef in Ghana and West Africa, resulted in the first formal shipment of 15 tonnes of beef products from Namibia.
superior beef
Ghana is a significant meat importer, whereas Namibia is recognised for its export of cattle and associated goods. Namibian beef is distinctive since it is hormone-free and grass-fed.
Given the superior breed, it is not unexpected that Namibia became the first African nation to be permitted to export meat to the United States of America in February 2020.
monetary value
The first shipment of Namibian meat products to Ghana, according to Ms. Ashipala-Musavyi, gave the bilateral trade relations commercial significance. She emphasised that in addition to bringing the public and private sectors together, this shipment also took place against the backdrop of COVID-19's effects on global supply chains and the ongoing conflict in Europe.
Together, these two events show how important it is for Africa to start taking its consumption seriously. I do not support social seclusion. I firmly believe that Africa should become less reliant on foreign countries for consumer products, she said.
She expressed the wish that the alliance between Meatco Namibia and Abanga Farm and Food Systems would herald the start of a fruitful and protracted trade collaboration between the two nations.
Historic
The event was described as historic by Charity Gbedawo, Director of Africa and Bilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, on behalf of Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. The relationship between Ghana and Namibia dates back to the liberation struggle in Southern Africa in the 1960s and the important role played by Ghana's military in that struggle.
According to Mrs. Gbedawo, Ghana and Namibia have chosen to pay more attention to their bilateral and intra-African commerce by utilising the opportunities offered by the sizable market of 1.2 billion people since the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) came into effect.
The development of commerce between African nations, according to Thomas Abanga, chief executive officer of Abanga Farms and Food Systems, was essential if the continent was to transform the unfair trading connections between African nations and the rest of the globe.
He claimed that the private sector might drive economic growth if given the proper assistance.
According to Mr. Abanga, Meatco has a wealth of expertise and can assure Ghanaians high-quality goods that have been certified by the different regulatory bodies.