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North West businesses advised to look to Africa for export market

North West firms are being encouraged to do business in Africa by government minister MP Mark Simmonds.

Mr Simmonds, Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, met 30 delegates at a conference at UKTI’s Trafford Park branch in Manchester, where he showcased the ‘growing African market’ and hailed the continent as the economic landscape of the future.

Representatives from the Department for International Development, UK Export Finance as well as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office also attended the event at Warren Bruce Court.

Mr Simmonds said: “If you are an active, ambitious business, do consider looking at Africa as a potential new export market for your goods and services. This is not just oil and gas, it’s education, agriculture, chemicals, retail. And it is all part of the journey of Africa and it’s people becoming more affluent.

“There’s a growing ambition of people in Africa to have a lifestyle that we all accept as normal here.”

He added: “We provide support to businesses who want to access most African countries’ markets.

“But there are five high level prosperity partnerships, which are Tanzania, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Angola and Ghana, where we are providing support through all government departments to UK businesses.”

The event in Trafford was hosted by Barclays, PwC and DLA Piper.

The panel said that Sub-Saharan Africa has shown resilient growth during the financial crisis, and is expected to grow by 6 per cent per year over the next four years with Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and others expected to achieve growth rates of seven per cent or more this year.

High commissioner for Ghana Victor Hugo said during the discussion: “The priorities in Ghana are infrastructure and agriculture.

“They are the big ones. There are other smaller to medium type priorities but the government in Ghana needs help from British business in infrastructure, transport and agriculture.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .