Nairobi, 30 May 2023 - The Ghana-Kenya Market Entry Expo, held from 23 to 27 May 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, proved to be a pioneer event for bolstering bilateral trade ties and accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. The Ghana Trade House was also officially opened to facilitate the entry of Made-in-Ghana goods into Kenya and the larger East African market. 

The Expo showcased a diversity of value-added products – cosmetics, textiles and clothing, leather, and agro-processed goods – made in Ghana by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), the majority of which are owned by women and youth. In addition, the Expo enabled business-to-business engagements to promote the distribution of Ghanaian goods in the Kenyan/East African market. 

Technical discussions highlighted the transformative power of trade to drive continental integration and economic growth, emphasizing the need for a new kind of trade facilitation, that is MSMEs-centered, and boosts their capacity to produce and trade for the African market. 

Hon. Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, stated, "Making a major move like this was very long overdue and for us it is such a joy to bring about 60 manufacturers from Ghana to Kenya, to see them able to make sales, to see Kenyans interested in products manufactured in Ghana and most importantly, the manufacturers finding distributors and agents here in Kenya.”

UNDP Resident Representative in Ghana, Angela Lusigi, highlighted the significance of the expo in advancing AfCFTA implementation. “The Expo served as a demonstration of our collective efforts towards fostering economic integration and driving sustainable development in Africa. This is truly the AfCFTA in action,” she said.