President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has touted the exciting business environment of Ghana and the prospects it holds for the continent’s development in the 21st century.
Government, he said, has over the past three years worked hard to put Ghana’s economy back on track and urged for Britain’s participation in that development.
He stated that the government has succeeded in creating a business-friendly environment that has led to the country becoming the largest source of foreign direct investment in West Africa.
President Nana Akufo-Addo made these overtures on Monday during bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on the sidelines of the ongoing UK-Africa Investment Summit.
He expressed appreciation to the British Government for its willingness to work with Ghana on trade and investment cooperation and move away from the traditional aid-based relationship.
The British PM, Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson praised the excellent relations between the United Kingdom and Ghana and praised President Akufo-Addo for the effort in growing the Ghanaian economy and making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
He touted the United Kingdom as the ultimate one-stop-shop for trade, education and technology.
“Look around the world today and you will swiftly see that the UK is not only the obvious partner of choice but also very much partner of today, of tomorrow and decades to come.”
The two states subsequently resolved to deepen the bilateral relations that exist between them, as well as explore areas of interest that will inure to the mutual benefit of the two countries and their respective populations.
Contributing to a panel discussion at the Summit, President Akufo-Addo stated that despite the fact that Africa’s wealth is undisputed; the continent has found itself in a situation where her infrastructure is underdeveloped.
He said, “There is an urgent need for us to think outside the box. We need to find a way to think outside the box in trying to find a way to address the infrastructure deficit that there is, and finding novel instruments for financing Africa’s infrastructure.”
He continued, “Nobody is looking for gifts or charity, but we are saying that if there is equity in the way most people look at it, the means for being able to address the deficits and the difficulties that exist, and I think that the London stock exchange can play a really significant and important role in this new thinking.”
“That, in my view, is absolutely important for the future of the continent and for our relations with countries like Britain”.
