Togo’s Council President, Faure Gnassingbé, opened the fourth UK-West and Central Francophone Africa trade and investment forum (UK-WCAF) in Lomé on Wednesday, Nov. 12, marking the first time the event has been hosted on African soil.
The gathering drew nearly 700 participants, including policymakers, investors and business leaders from around ten countries.
The two-day forum includes country presentations, thematic panel discussions, roundtables, B2B meetings and networking sessions.
Conversations are centered on investment opportunities, trade partnerships and financing tools to deepen economic cooperation between the United Kingdom and Francophone regions of West and Central Africa.
Delegates are also emphasizing national priorities and recent reforms introduced to make their markets more competitive, according to Ecofin Agency.
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“We are opening a new chapter today in the partnership between the United Kingdom and Francophone Africa. Investing in Togo means entering the growth corridor linking Lagos, Cotonou, Lomé, Accra and Abidjan, and gaining access to both Francophone and Anglophone markets,” Gnassingbé said, highlighting a regional market of more than 450 million people.
For Togo, which has intensified efforts in recent years to strengthen its business climate and draw foreign investment, the forum offers a platform to showcase its assets in trade and logistics, particularly its deep-water port and favorable fiscal reforms.
A memorandum of understanding covering key sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture and agro-industry was signed during the opening session between the Togolese government and British economic stakeholders.
Gnassingbé encouraged participants to build long-term partnerships. “We encourage our British partners to look to the future with us, to invest not only in traditional infrastructure but also in Africa’s new growth frontiers: the green economy, the local processing of critical raw materials, digital finance and creative industries,” he said.
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Image Credit: Togo First
