Accra, May 25, GNA – The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has officially opened a business centre in Nairobi, Kenya known as the “Ghana Trade House” as part of its mandate to facilitate the export of Ghanaian goods and services.
The one-stop-shop outlet, located in Nairobi’s Sameer Business Park, is intended to provide a platform for Ghanaian exporters to showcase their products and services in the East African country, fostering economic growth and development.
Dr Afua Asabea Asare, the Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, said the establishment of the Trade House formed part of the implementation of Ghana’s National Export Development Strategy (NEDS), which aimed at generating US$25.3 billion in non-traditional export revenue by 2029.
Speaking at the opening ceremony in Nairobi on May 23, Dr Asabea Asare said the establishment of the Ghana Trade House in Kenya showed the growing economic cooperation between Ghana and countries in the East Africa region.
She said the Trade House would stock premium Ghanaian products for the East African market, diversify the options available, stimulate trade activities, create business opportunities, and generate employment opportunities.
The Centre would also provide market intelligence, a storage and warehousing facility, as well as a hub for networking between Ghanaian and Kenyan businessmen and women.
It would become an avenue for cultural exchange between Ghana and countries in the East African region, and serve as a platform for Kenyan businesses to engage with Ghanaian exporters and explore potential partnerships.
“The Ghana Trade House, in Kenya, signifies a giant step towards regional integration within Africa. It puts actions behind our words and highlights the commitment to promoting intra-African trade and cooperation,” Dr Asare stressed.
She expressed the conviction that other countries on the continent could foster similar initiatives, and create a network of trade houses that facilitated trade and economic integration at the regional level.
“By promoting African products and brands on a continental scale, we tend to showcase the diversity and quality of African goods and services, fostering a positive image of African products in international markets,” she stated.
“This can lead to increased demand, market penetration, and improved competitiveness for African businesses, complemented by a robust trade infrastructure and supportive environment for trade promotion.”
That could potentially woo foreign investment from international investors who perceived the African region as an attractive destination for trade, technology transfer, and economic growth.
Nana Ama Dokuah Asiamah Adjei, a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry in charge of International Trade, said the Government placed a high premium on trade within Africa and was determined to boost its exports across the continent.
“Ghana is strongly committed to intra-African trade within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), so opening the Ghana Trade House adds value to our bilateral trade with Kenya.”
Mr Oliver Konje, Kenya’s Acting Director for International Trade at the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry, entreated businesses in the two countries to explore opportunities in both markets by promoting export products that had comparative advantages.
He encouraged Ghanaian chocolatiers to look into the Kenyan market, while Kenyan tea companies do the same in Ghana.
Madam Floice Alukabana, the CEO of the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA), urged African nations to commit themselves to promote trade liberalisation through market linkages.
She said KEPROBA would continue to collaborate with GEPA to boost trade between Kenya and Ghana.
GNA