ACCRA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said here on Friday that the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is a catalyst for trade on the African continent.
Obasanjo made the remarks during the official opening of registrations for the next session of the IATF scheduled for Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire in 2023, which is held by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the African Export-Import Bank.
"The IATF is an important component of our efforts at righting the wrongs of the past, breaking down borders, and building bridges to help us achieve the ambition of Agenda 2063 to build the Africa we want," said Obasanjo, who was the chairman of the 2021 IATF advisory council.
"It was not just a trade fair, but a powerful transformative, socioeconomic event that fostered African integration on the platform of trade," said Obasanjo, referring to the 2021 IATF held in Durban, South Africa.
He added that the 2021 fair provided a platform for trade and investment deals worth more than 42 billion U.S. dollars.
"IATF-2023 should enable exhibitors to showcase their goods and services and conclude different deals that would change Africa's fortunes," said Obasanjo. ■