Ghanaian businesses urged to exhibit creativity at 2020 Africa - France Summit

Madam Anne Sophie Avè, the French Ambassador to Ghana, has encouraged Ghanaian businesses to exhibit their creativity at the 2020 Africa-France Summit to be held in Bordeaux, France from June 4-6.

She noted that Ghanaian companies had talents and a lot of creativity, and she was hopeful would exhibit their traits and showcase the dynamism in Ghana, for France and other African countries to be delighted in bringing them to a large scale.

Madam Avè made these remarks in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, during the presentation of the ‘2020 Africa-France Summit and the City of Solutions’ to Ghanaian companies.

The event was organised by the French Embassy in partnership with EIB, the local contact for the registrations for the 2020 Africa-France Summit.

The companies were invited through the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Ghana Club 100 and several other businesses associations such as the French Chamber of Commerce in Ghana, the Private Enterprise Federation and the Association of Ghana Industries.

The Summit, which would be held from 4-6 June 2020 will witness the French President, Emmanuel Macron, welcoming 54 African Heads of State, along with their ministerial delegations and regional decision-makers, as well as private businesses, financial institutions, members of the diaspora and civil society organisations.

At the core of this summit will be the City of Solutions, a trade fair opened to the project leaders, companies, civil society and institutions that will change the face of urban centres.

Over 500 companies will be presenting their products and services to 25,000 visitors.

Madam Avè told GNA that the summit was mainly a business summit trying to make connections and linkages with French businesses and the world.

She noted that as a representative of the President and French Government in Ghana, the Embassy’s role was to create the awareness and to ensure they spearheaded the advertisement of the summit, specifically in Ghana.

Madam Avè said the Embassy would help to facilitate the delivery of visas and to help with air flight.

Mr Olivier Martiel, Head of the Economic Mission at the French Embassy, also told GNA that the key objective of the event was to build networks with French companies, French organisations, French local authorities and also among West African countries.

He further explained that the event would not be the usual political summit but also a networking summit highlighting the business aspect of the conference.

Mr Yoofi Grant, Chief Executive Officer, GIPC, said there were a lot of Francophone countries in Africa, however, Ghana being an Anglophone country was able to position itself for opportunities, and always in the limelight.

He noted that as Ghana was moving from an economy that was based mainly on the export of raw materials and resources into one based on value addition and manufacturing, one of the key areas it needed was to pay attention to, packaging.

He described packaging as an important aspect in marketing and selling of products, especially for exports, adding that “we do have a whole host of exportable products and we need to pay a bit of attention to presentation”.

Mr Grant noted that, this made a difference for some consumers, saying, “the way and how is packaged, and the fact that these are Ghanaian products, and possibly for agric products whether they are organic or inorganic products; all these things really matter”.