By Albert Allotey
Accra, Feb. 6, GNA-Dr Edwin Alfred Nii Obodai Provencal, the Managing Director of Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company has been outdoored as the Chairman of the GITFiC-AfCFTA Tertiary Students Club.
The Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference works with the private sector and the Government sector in the sub-region and the continent at large to drive the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
It is to broaden development agenda of the continent as defined in the A.U. (Agenda 2063) and global trade issues at large.
It has three thematic basic areas of services which are Trade, Trade Finance, and Logistics to enhance intra Africa trade, regional integration, trade liberalization, trade policies, and practices of the African continent.
The GITFiC-AfCFTA Tertiary Students Club was officially established in March 2023 at the University of Ghana and has since been replicated at three other institutions in Ghana, namely the University of Development Studies (UDS), All Nations University (ANU), and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Dr. Prince Brako, Lead Patron of GITFiC-AfCFTA Club, All Nations University Chapter in introducing the Chairman said Dr. Provencal was appointed by the 8th Steering Committee of GITFiC after successful deliberations during the months of November and December, 2023.
Prof Rosina Kyerematen, Dean of Students Affairs, University of Ghana in an opening remark expressed the hope that the Club was not going to be a talking shop but “we are going to put things to action.”
“I always say that the difference between us and industrialised or developed countries is that they take research very seriously. They vote millions of dollars to fund research and they take serious action with data and innovation they come with.
“It is about time we got serious as Africans. We are lagging because we do not see the seriousness in merging industry, academic, government, policymakers, and young people – all of us sitting at one table producing ideas and not just government, but private industries putting in money to fund research,” she stated.
Prof Kyerematen said: “I am happy that the Club has been put together, which will hopefully work with industry, policymakers, academia so that when we do our research at the universities, please do not let it just be on the shelves to gather dust. When we come to the trade industry, Bulk, please help us.”
Dr Provencal in a speech said as patrons and club members, they acknowledged the pivotal role young minds played in shaping Ghana and the continent at large and that they would provide a platform to channel energy, creativity, and passion towards advancing AfCFTA objectives to effect meaningful change in communities.
“This can be done through entrepreneurship, startups and dreaming to become some of Africa’s giant production and manufacturing success stories. These, I am informed, are the ideals behind this initiative for which I am today honoured to be chairing,” he stated.
The Chairman said empowering the next generation of leaders with the knowledge and skills to navigate regional trade complexities, fresh avenues would be unlocked for growth and development across Africa, yet the journey toward realizing AfCFTA’s full potential would be fraught with challenges.
“We must confront and address infrastructure deficits, regulatory barriers, and skills shortages that threaten to impede our progress. However, it is precisely in the face of these challenges that our resolve must remain unshakable, and our determination resolute,” he stated.
Dr Provencal said: “As members of the GITFiC-AfCFTA Tertiary Students Club, we bear a responsibility not only to ourselves but to future generations. We must seize the opportunities AfCFTA presents and chart a course toward a more prosperous and inclusive future.
“We must dare to dream big, think boldly, and act decisively in pursuit of our shared aspirations. As members of the GITFiC-AfCFTA Tertiary Students Club, we carry the torch of hope. We can reshape Africa’s narrative, rewriting the story of our continent for generations to come,” he said.
GNA