Abdul Razak Dawood Sees Huge Trade Potential Between Pakistan & Africa

The Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan in collaboration with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TADP) is organizing the second three-day Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference (PATDC) in Lagos, Nigeria to further enhance trade relations with the 15-member group called the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS). The three day event is being held alongside a ‘single country exhibition’, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood led a 232-member business delegation comprising senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce, TDAP, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). During the event, various B2B [business t0 business], G2G [government to government], and B2G [business to government] meetings will take place on the sidelines of the conference & single country exhibition. In his address on the occasion, Abdul Razak Dawood stressed that given the concrete opportunities that existed between the two sides, Pakistan-Africa trade could easily be increased manifold in the coming years. Despite challenges, he remarked, there would be steady and gradual but persistent growth in Pakistan-Africa trade with an enhanced level of engagement by both sides, public officials as well as the private sector. It is to note that under ‘Look Africa Policy’, the Ministry has taken various initiatives to enhance trade relations with African states. ECOWAS is a 15-member regional group with a mandate of promoting economic integration, member countries constituting ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo. Nigeria, being the largest economy in the ECOWAS, is extremely important to enhance commercial and institutional linkages with ECOWAS member states, so it was selected for the second of a series of PATDC. The conference launch was attended by prominent Pakistani businessmen representing various sectors including pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, chemical, tractors/agriculture machinery, cosmetics, IT services, sports goods, food, electronics and engineering goods. Business and official delegates from the ECOWAS member states also attended the conference and the single country exhibition. Representatives of Nigerian government including Governor Lagos State, Federal Minister for Industry, Trade & Investment Minister of Information and Culture Minister of Special Duties & Intergovernmental Affairs and senior officials from Standards Organization Nigeria, National Agency for Food & Drug Administration, Nigerian Investment Commission and other officials were also present, along with the President Nigerian Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture.