The India-West Africa Regional Conclave is to Commence in Abuja, Monday.

The Conclave is an annual business meeting between Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in conjunction with Government of India. Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, RN Reddy revealed that more than 200 participants drawn from the West Africa sub region are expected at the event.

We are expecting 200 delegates from the 15 countries of the West Africa sub region. Similarly, 70 business representatives from India, including 20 CEOs of leading India industry are expected to converge at this important event.

Representation from all the 15 ECOWAS countries, including some Ministerial delegation makes this Conclave an ideal platform to bring together leading stakeholders, including business leaders, policy leaders, entrepreneurs and thought leaders of India and West African countries.

Reddy explained that Nigeria was chosen to host the event because the Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari is currently the chair of ECOWAS and Nigeria hosts ECOWAS secretariat.

Responding, the representative of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC, Adeshina Emmanuel said, praised Indian for the bold move to strengthen its trade ties with Nigeria.

He urged the Nigerian business class to give the event the needed support. Emmanuel reiterated that the NIPC was doing everything that needed to be done to translate Nigerian trade with India to investment.

The conclave aims to serve as a platform for dialogues between India and the 15 West African countries, who are members of ECOWAS, to further strengthen the developmental partnerships.

The Conclave will also focus on economic and commercial deliberations through Business to Government (B2Gs) and Business to Business (B2Bs) engagements.

It will be a platform for Indian and African private sectors and key financial institutions to identify priority areas and special projects for Indian investment and partnership, with a long-term commitment to West Africa.

The India-West Africa Conclave, the first event of its kind to be organised by India in West Africa, will have the presence of Trade, Commerce & Industry Ministers from India and all the fifteen (15) ECOWAS Member-countries, to further strengthen development partnerships.

His Excellency, Mr Suresh Prabhu, Hon’ble Minister for Commerce & Industry of India, will be leading a high-powered Indian delegation, consisting senior officials of the Government of India, captains of Indian industry and experts in the key sectors to be deliberated during the conclave.

The trade volume between Nigeria and India as at 2017 stood at $9.6 billion

http://www.mcebisco.com.ng/2018/10/indian-west-africa-conclave-commences.html