UK Foreign Secretary’s visit to Africa to focus on “mutually beneficial” partnerships 

Accra, July 31, GNA – James Cleverly, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom (UK) will visit Ghana on Monday, July 31. 

A statement issued by the British High Commission in Accra, copied to the Ghana News Agency said the visit, which is the first of three African countries in a four-day visit across the continent would focus on “mutually beneficial” partnerships. 

It said Mr Cleverly would announce new UK investment for small businesses in Ghana, one of the UK’s biggest export markets in sub-Saharan Africa. 

It said the Foreign Secretary would travel on to Nigeria Tuesday, August 1, before concluding his visit to Zambia on Thursday, August 3.   

The statement said the Foreign Secretary would pledge a £40 million boost for Ghana’s businesses, as he begins a trip to Accra on Monday, 31 July, at the start of a visit to Africa. 

It said the funding provided by British International Investment, the UK’s development finance institution, owned wholly by the FCDO, would deliver long-term flexible capital for up to 150 Ghanaian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), opening up access to business support services to help them grow.  

“Ghana is the UK’s fourth-biggest export market in sub-Saharan Africa, with total UK imports from Ghana amounting to £1.3 billion in 2022,” the statement said. 

“The country’s SME sector constitutes over 90 per cent share of Ghana’s private sector, accounts for 60 per cent of jobs and contributes 70 per cent of the country’s GDP.” 

The statement said while in Accra, the Foreign Secretary would see first-hand the UK-Ghana partnership in action, visiting UK-Ghana NGO Trashy Bags, where recycled drinking water sachets are upcycled into bags and sustainable products.  

It said the NGO receives grants from UK Export Finance. 

“New funding announced today aligns with the Prime Minister’s priorities of growing the economy, with investment funding unlocking potential for long-term economic growth in both Ghana and the UK.” The statement stated. 

Mr Cleverly said: “I want the UK to be increasingly driving future-focussed, mutually beneficial partnerships with African countries operating in the world’s largest free trade area.  

“From investments in clean energy to companies turning waste products into fashion items, there is so much potential for economic growth across Africa. 

“With the UK-African Investment Summit to be hosted in London in April next year, we are looking to strengthen our business links and grow our economies together.  

“By investing in companies in Ghana today, we are investing in jobs and growth for the future.”  

The statement said keen for the UK to focus on building partnerships with countries like Ghana, the Foreign Secretary will also launch a £3.9 million UK programme to tackle illicit flows of illegal gold and the social, environmental and economic harms the trade causes both in Ghana and in the UK.  

It said showcasing the UK’s commitment to transformative science, innovation and technology to find new solutions to shared challenges, Cleverly will also visit one of Africa’s most prestigious life-science institutions to launch the UK-Ghana Science Tech and Innovation Strategy.  

It said the new strategy would strengthen health security, create new investment opportunities, and keep Ghana and the UK at the forefront of global life science priorities, including eradicating malaria.   

The statement said moving on to visit Nigeria and Zambia this week, he would meet with key government figures to discuss a positive future of our partnerships with Africa and continue to see UK partnerships with African businesses and NGOs in action, delivering economic growth and trade and investment opportunities. 

The £40 million package of funding for SMEs will be delivered through Growth Investment Partners (GIP) Ghana, a company established by British International Investment (BII) and is projected to support up to 150 Ghanaian SMEs within the next 15 years.  

This support for Ghana is announced ahead of the 2024 UK-African investment summit, which will be hosted by the Prime Minister in London next April.  

The Summit will bring together Heads of State and Government from African countries, including Ghana, with British and African business leaders.  

The summit will strengthen UK-African partnerships to create jobs, growth and increase trade and investment.   

GNA 

Related