GEPA leads Ghanaian exhibitors to Intra-African Trade Fair 2023 in Egypt

10th Nov 2023 | Source: Graphic Online

Lt General Obed Boamah Akwa , Ghana’s Ambassador to Egypt (Left); Mr Michael Ocquaye Jnr, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority; and Osafohene Dr Afua Asabea Asare, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, touri

The one -week fair is being organised by the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat (AfCFTA) in collaboration with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the African Union (AU) on the theme, “Connecting African Markets”.

The GEPA are facilitators for Ghanaian owned businesses exhibiting at the fair.

Madam Esther Osei, owner of Golden Affairs, displaying assorted items at the fair

The third of its kind, the goal of the fair is to increase trade among African countries, specifically a 15-25% in intra-African trade (50-70 billion dollars) by 2040.

It is also under the AfCFTA trade agreement, aimed at ensuring an increase of four trillion dollars in additional investment and consumer spending.

Similarly, it serves the purpose of promoting easier circulation across the continent, improving competitiveness and productivity of African goods and services and providing the incentive to source inputs and intermediaries within the continent.

Didier Drogba, Ivorian footballer and Osafohene Dr Afua Asabea Asare

Hence, this year’s Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2023) has brought together 1,600 exhibitors from 75 African countries to a common market place provided by the fair.

Goods and services on display include equipment, cosmetics, clothing, jewellery, musical instruments, shoes, bags, carpets, agricultural produce and agro-chemicals.

Packaged Amani being exhibited by Setor's hub

The AfCFTA is a trade agreement currently in force between 29 member states of the AU and signed by 54 states in October 2019.

Lt General Obed Boamah Akwa, Ghana’s Ambassador to Egypt; Mr Michael Ocquaye Jnr, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority and Osafohene Dr Afua Asabea Asare, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority took a tour of Ghana Pavilion at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre when the fair officially opened this morning.