ECOWAS Commission partners UAE on Investments

The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are to collaborate on how to make the region benefit from sustainable partnership with investors.

The 10th edition of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) of the UAE comes up in March 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre with the Theme Investing for the future: Shaping Global Investment Strategies.

Conferring with the Director-General of AIM Mr. Walid Farghal on the 25th of October 2019 in Abuja, Nigeria, on potential collaborations through AIM, the ECOWAS Commission’s Vice President H.E. Madam Finda Koroma stated the willingness of the Commission to revitalise the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which spells out the areas of cooperation.

Vice President Koroma discussed the prospects of a High-Level ECOWAS Member States’ investment showcase where regional projects will be presented to international investors during the AIM 2020 event.

Madam Koroma assured the AIM team of the Commission’s commitment towards more meaningful exploration of the existing business partnership covering the key priority sectors of infrastructure, energy, mines, hospitality, utilities and tourism as well as agribusiness among others

In his remarks, Mr. Walid Farghal stressed the need for interactions between ECOWAS and investors; like the participants at the AIM. He expressed optimism that his meetings with government and business authorities preparatory for the AIM in 2020 will yield positive results.

The AIM team was at the Commission’s Headquarters to present their new pillars meant to support the attraction of new forms of investments to the ECOWAS region. They highlighted the importance of the involvement of the private sector in the AIM 2020 Small & Medium Enterprises Pillar, through the cooperation with the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI).

The AIM is a Foreign Direct Investment-focused event that convenes key decision-makers from around the world, bringing together businesses and countries willing to engage in sustainable partnerships with investors.