GTR‘s 5th Annual West Africa Trade & Commodity Finance Conference took place on the 23rd & 24th October, 2013, at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel, Accra, Ghana. This annual event is the leading trade finance conference in West Africa and attracted over 200 local, regional and international delegates to meet and discuss new business opportunities within the booming trade and commodities sectors.

The keynote address was delivered by the Hon. Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, Deputy Minister for Finance & Economic Planning of the Republic of Ghana. The deputy Minister outlined the current state of trade within West Africa and how best to drive forward growth in an unstable global environment. Mr. Anthony Fofie, Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board, followed with a second keynote address on the current state of cocoa financing and crop indications for 2014. Both keynote speeches illustrated the enormous importance of cocoa to the Ghanaian economy whilst looking at ways to improve the industry to keep it at the fore of global cocoa production.

As the biggest trade and commodity finance gathering in West Africa, the conference brought together decision makers from some of the country’s biggest corporate players to give their unique insights into today’s market. The event will also attract many local and international delegates from the banking and financial services sectors to discuss access to finance, key political and economic risk sign posts, financing the oil, gas and mining sectors, access to export and ECA finance, legal Q&A session, the viability of commodity based industrialisation, capital markets, and creating commodity exchanges for frontier markets in Africa.

“The West African economy continues to attract attention, despite significant global challenges, with opportunities abound in many sectors,” says the conference producer, Paul Greetham. “With international trade flows developing at an unprecedented rate, the conference is well timed to tackle key market issues and illustrate current commodity trends.”

With so many high-level delegates in attendance, networking was a key feature throughout the conference. With numerous networking breaks there was be ample opportunity for anyone serious about doing business in West Africa to create new business contacts and build relationships with the foremost market actors.

“The annual West Africa Trade & Commodity Finance Conference has rightly become a key fixture within GTR‘s calendar,” says Peter Gubbins, Managing Director of GTR. “Many delegates and supporters return year after year and have helped develop this key industry gathering into a hotbed of contemporary discussion and unrivalled networking. We look forward to facilitating business in the country and region for many years to come.”

The conference welcomes support from leading institutions, such as Standard Banks, Ghana International Bank, African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI), JLT Specialty, Barclays Africa Group, Standard Chartered, FMO, Afreximbank, Equipxp, Clyde & Co, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Mauritius Commercial Bank, Ecobank, FBN Bank, Nedbank Capital, Zenith Bank and Codix.