Ghana’s Ambassador-Designate to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, His Excellency Edward Kwaku Cofie, has begun high-level engagements aimed at deepening trade and investment relations between Ghana and Algeria, with a focus on industrial collaboration and value-added manufacturing.

As part of these efforts, the Ambassador-Designate held talks with Mr. Mohamed Djebbar, Chief Executive Officer of Sarl Reine des Zibansa, at the company’s manufacturing facility in Regalia, near Algiers.

The discussions explored opportunities for bilateral trade, investment, and industrial partnerships, particularly in the aluminium value chain.

During the engagement, Cofie encouraged Algerian companies to take advantage of Ghana’s stable political environment, investor-friendly policies, and strategic location in West Africa to establish operations and partnerships in the country.

He highlighted Ghana’s role as a gateway to the ECOWAS market and its hosting of the AfCFTA Secretariat, which provides access to a continental market of over 1.3 billion people.

The Ambassador-Designate assured the company of the Ghana Embassy’s readiness to facilitate business linkages, regulatory engagement, and partnerships with relevant public and private sector stakeholders in Ghana, as part of broader efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.

Trade between Ghana and Algeria remains relatively modest despite strong diplomatic ties. Ghana’s exports to Algeria are limited, while imports from Algeria are dominated by petroleum-related products.

Cofie noted there is significant potential to diversify trade volumes and deepen industrial linkages, particularly in manufacturing and minerals-based value addition.

He emphasised the importance of leveraging intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to reduce reliance on extra-continental markets and promote African industrialisation.

Sarl Reine des Zibansa specialises in processing aluminium ingots into customised products for industrial and commercial clients. Following discussions, the company expressed strong interest in importing high-purity aluminium ingots from Ghana to diversify its raw material supply.

In response, the Ambassador-Designate highlighted Ghana’s growing aluminium ecosystem, anchored by the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) and supported by bauxite resources, energy infrastructure, and downstream manufacturing potential.

He noted that increased exports of aluminium ingots would support Ghana’s objective of moving up the minerals value chain and expanding non-traditional exports.

Djebbar reaffirmed his company’s interest in a broader range of Ghanaian products, indicating that aluminium ingots would serve as an entry point for future trade engagement between the two countries.

Both parties agreed to continue discussions toward concrete trade arrangements, aiming to enhance industrial cooperation, boost trade volumes, and support the objectives of the AfCFTA.

The engagement marks a positive step toward deepening Ghana–Algeria economic relations, particularly in manufacturing and minerals-based trade, while reinforcing Ghana’s position as a reliable industrial and investment partner in Africa.