Panafrican News Agency

India, ECOWAS member-States business leaders meet in Abuja on Monday

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) – More than 200 delegates from over 15 West African countries and 70 business representatives from India will from Monday next week converge in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, for a two-day India-West Africa Business conclave.

India and West Africa have a combined population of around 1.7 billion and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about US$3.1 trillion.

The combined GDP of the 15 ECOWAS member-States, with a population of over 370 million people, is estimated to over half a trillion dollars.

Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria Mr. Nagabhushana Reddy told journalists on Thursday evening in Abuja that the conference, to be attended by over 20 CEOs of leading Indian industry, are expected to create an opportunity for people to business engagements towards taking India-West African relationship to the next level.

According to Mr Reddy, “representation from all the 15 ECOWAS countries including some Ministerial delegation makes this conclave an ideal platform to bring together leading stakeholders, including business leaders, policy leaders, entrepreneurs and leaders of thought of India and West African countries to explore new opportunities for building mutually empowering partnership. Besides Business to Government (B2G) and Business to Business (B2B) interactions, several B2B deals between companies from India and West Africa are expected to be discussed and nurture on the sideline of the conclave."

He said in a gesture that underscores the new energy and vigour in India-West African relations, Mr.Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation and Mr. M.J. Akbar, Minister of State for External Affairs, will be leading s 70-member strong business delegation to participate and address the conclave.

"The participation of two seniors Ministers from India in this conclave reinforces the importance India attaches to deepening and diversifying its multifarious relations with the resurgent African continent," Mr Reddy said.
-0- PANA MON/MA 5Oct2018