The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) is organising the fair on the theme: "Leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area for Local Economic Development, which will commence from November 26 to December 10, at the Ho Sports Stadium.

Dr Angela Lusigithe Resident representative, UNDP, was the special guest of honor, who launched the fair.

She commended the organisers for the initiative and said the economic empowerment benefits were laudable.

The region was best positioned to benefit from AfCFTA with its arable lands, scenic landscape, industrial growth, and youthful population, she said, and that the UNDP remained active in helping Ghana to achieve rural development.

She listed a broad portfolio of support programmes, including over 2,000 acres of rice under climate safe cultivation in the region.

Dr Lusigi said the UNDP would work with various partners to enhance the continental free trade in four strategic areas, including digital infrastructure; promoting agriculture, investment in human capital and the promotion of tourism.

She called on all to take active part in the fair to ensure that trade was enhanced in the area.

The AGI is organising the Fair in collaboration with the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, the National AfCFTA Coordination Office, and other institutions such as the Ghana Tourism Authority, and the Ghana Export Promotion Authority.

Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, said the fair, the third under his leadership, was "another opportunity to showcase the pride and the strong potentials of the region."

He said the vision was to make Volta a production and exporting hub with the private sector at the centre and called on the people to take advantage of the favourable environment for local economic development.

Indigenous companies from Togo, Kenya, Nigeria, and India would be participating in the Fair, he said, and added that: "I am very optimistic it will help foster the needed synergy between the Coordinating Council and businesses in the region."

Mr Dela Gadzanku, the Chairman of the AGI for Eastern, Volta and Oti, said it was a transformational journey, which testified to the exceptional collaboration among partners and the various trade and investment organisations.

He said there would be an "exciting lineup of side events" and several seminars and business forums including an AfCFTA innovation contest, tours across the region, and a roundtable on the automotive industry.

Dr Fareed Kwesi Arthur, the National Coordinator, AfCFTA Coordination Office, said such events displayed the ideals and relevance of the continental free trade, and assured of the Office's commitment to working very closely with stakeholders to make the fair a success.

Mr Eliphas Barine, the Kenya High Commissioner to Ghana, who was the Guest of Honour, said tourism remained an  important sector that could give enormous value to the Continentand urged the organisers to improve upon the previous events to enhance the benefits

"The task ahead is to make the event more successfulcreate opportunities for participants and focus on small and micro businesses,he said

Togbe Doglo Anoma VIthe Paramount Chief of Avenor Traditional Area, chaired the launch and said traditional leade endorsed the event and would continue to support it to realise the economic and developmental ideals

The GNA observes that just like last year's eventthis year's entwines the Asogli Te Za (Yam Festival)which would sharply raise the level of activity in the regional capital during the period.