8 Gambian Businesses Explore Investment Opportunities in Cote d’Ivoire

The Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GiEPA) in partnership with the Honorary Consul of Cote d’Ivoire to The Gambia has staged the first edition of the Business networking event at the Ivorian capital - Abidjan.

The delegation comprising of eight Gambian businesses and officials led by the GiEPA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ousainou Senghore was facilitated by the Honorary Consul of Cote d’Ivoire to the Gambia – His Excellency Papa Yusupha Njie. The eight Gambian businesses include nine business executives including: Maruo Farms, Blue Finn, Unique Group, GACH Global Trading, Niro, MSB Enterprise, KS Global, and Habbatu Sauda. The delegates participated in what appears to be the first Gambian-Ivorian Business networking event which saw the attendance of over 25 Ivorian businesses and institutions participating at a forum held at the National Trade Center. The engagement forms part of H.E The President of the Republic of The Gambia’s official visit to Cote D’Ivoire. 

Speaking at the event, the Minister for Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment – Hon Baboucarr Joof thanked the two governments for signing a significant diplomatic treaty that will help pave the way for doing business and facilitating a rewarding business environment between the two countries. Pointing out on standards and food safety, Hon Joof harped on The Gambia’s potential of being part of the Ecowas Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as potential instruments to be explored by both countries. He further called on critical productive sectors of the Gambian economy particularly Agro processing, value addition and packaging to be looked into by the Ivorian business community. He further called on institutions such as GiEPA, GCCI and their Ivorian equivalents to partner and sign MoU’s for improved coordination and facilitation.

Addressing the forum, the Director General of Economic Diplomacy, African Integration & Diaspora – Republic of Cote d’Ivoire at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs H.E Mr Vaflahi Meite, welcomed the Gambian business delegation adding his country is ready to send in Ivorian businesses to The Gambia and invest in various areas including the country’s productive sectors. He called on the process to be facilitated by the respective investment and export institutions and further urged the chambers of commerce to be more proactive in engaging their private sector members. 

Delivering his presentation as Honorary Consul of Cote d’Ivoire to the Gambia, His Excellency Papa Yusupha Njie disclosed plans and efforts applied by his Consul to facilitating Gambian businesses access more investment opportunities in Cote d’Ivoire. He therefore urge actors to focus on efforts that moves contacts to contracts, adding the Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire has huge potentials to explore in a win-win partnership. He encouraged events of such nature meant to support the Gambian government to be supported.

Presenting on the need to invest in the Gambia, the GiEPA CEO - Ousainou Senghore deliberated on the mandate of the Agency in promoting and facilitating investment, export, enterprise development and advocacy to enabling private sector led-growth and development. The GiEPA Chief also discussed the high importance attached by the Gambia government to ensuring government investment incentives and returns are guaranteed and respected to spur more investment opportunities. He called on the Ivorian business community to explore the vast opportunities available in all the productive sectors of the Gambian economy adding government’s vision is to create jobs and improving the economy. Also delivering his closing remarks, Mr Senghore thanked the business community of both countries particularly the eight Gambian businesses that have exclusively paid for their trip in support of government’s vision to creating trade and economic diplomacy between the two brotherly countries.