Meet the Ambassadors - West Africa

With opportunities in fintech, agriculture, infrastructure and other sectors West Africa presents some attractive opportunities for UK businesses. We are delighted to be joined by Ambassadors and High Commissioners from the region as they provide general political and economic updates, some perspectives on areas of opportunity and share insights on the region’s response to the crisis.

The region has 15 economies with a broad spread of economic maturity. Growth in the region has been historically driven by agriculture, whilst the financial services sector is both Ghana and Nigeria are significant and important. Agriculture and Industry dominated exports with each accounting for about a quarter of the region’s GDP. Whilst there are challenges related to the ease of doing business, there are opportunities for UK companies in sectors such as mining, oil, infrastructure, agriculture and fintech.  

The Nigerian economy entered a recession in 2020, reversing three years of recovery, due to fall in crude oil prices, however there is growth forecast for 2021 and with diversification high on the agenda there are plenty of opportunities for UK Business. In Ghana, modest economic growth in2020 is expected to accelerate in 2021.  

Sierra Leone’s growth is driven by increased activities in agriculture and construction as well as the resumption of iron ore production and exports. Growth in these labour-intensive sectors has made and will continue to make a dent on poverty in the country.

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All British Expertise International (BEI) events are open to UK Government civil servants and our strategic partners to participate at no cost. When registering please select “member” and follow the prompts. If you require registration assistance, please contact Matthew Gibbons.

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