On the initiative of the Beninese Ministry of Economy and Finance, British investors took part in the UKEF Business FORUM organized on Tuesday June 28, 2022, at the Novotel Hôtel Orisha in Cotonou. UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export finance institution, came to Benin with a group of companies specializing in various fields (water, sanitation, construction, education, agri-food, etc.) as part of the UKEF Business FORUM.At the opening of the meeting, held on Tuesday June 28, 2022, at the Novotel Hôtel Orisha in Cotonou, Adidjatou Hassan, Deputy Director of the Cabinet of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, welcomed the guests from Benin. The Forum aims to present investment opportunities in Benin through the Government Action Program (PAG) and other ongoing projects, she explained.
To provide these potential investors with information on what is being done in Benin, presentations on the Government Action Program (PAG), public procurement procedures in Benin, the Autonomous Port of Cotonou, and projects in the « water » and « infrastructure » sectors were given at the UKEF Business FORUM.
The Forum was attended by the Managing Directors of the Agence de Promotion des Investissements et des Exportations (Apiex), the Agence Nationale d’Approvisionnement en Eau potable en milieu rural (Anaep-Mr), the Caisse Nationale d’Amortissement, the Société d’Infrastructures Routières et de l’Aménagement du Territoire (Sirat), the Fonds National de Développement Agricole, and others.
British investors present at the Forum were impressed by what is happening in Benin, according to Laurent Gangbès, Director of Apiex. UK Export Finance plans to invest $2 billion in Benin after participating in the UKEF Business Forum, said Louis Taylor, Executive Director of UK Export Finance.
Mireille d’Oliveira-Richards, CEO Benin Connect, a participant in the Forum, pointed out that « Benin has a strategic position in West Africa, and we need to show these English-speaking companies that they can come and set up in Benin, that they can exploit the investment opportunities that exist, especially with the PAG and all the good projects that are in the pipeline for Benin over the next 5 years ».
The Benin-born entrepreneur, who has been working in the UK for many years, is counting on her knowledge of both the British and Beninese markets to support companies wishing to set up in the UK or in need of assistance, and has declared that the UKEF Business FORUM is a promising event.