Accra, Feb 19, GNA- A five-day international conference and exhibition to expand business and joint venture opportunities between America, Ghana and other West African Countries began in Accra on Thursday. The event, dubbed "America and West Africa: Partners in Development" has a one-on-one matchmaking to allow businessmen from the United States of America and West Africa to network and discuss potential joint venture and other partnership arrangements.

Delegations from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria Sierra Leone and the US, are attending the conference, being organised by African Connections Ghana Limited, a non-profit organisation and the Ministry of Regional Co-operation and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

Other collaborating Ministries to the conference are Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiatives (PSIs).

Topics discussed included the "Formulation of export strategies for West African Markets", "Ghana-Pivot of Export Regeneration for West Africa", and "How to Have Access to Finance for Projects in the Sub-region."

Other topics include "Packaging and Presentation: How to sell your product", "American Initiatives in Ghana", "Using Small Scale Enterprises as Tool for Poverty Alleviation", and "How AGOA Can Help You Get Money."

Among the investment areas being explored are water treatment and metering, housing development, telecommunications, salt mining and processing, information technology and thermal and solar energy technology, and apparel and textiles.

Dr Ayesha Hakeem, Managing Director of African Connections Limited, organisers of the conference, said the decision to widen the scope of the conference to cover other West African countries was taken after the success of an America-Ghana conference held in Ghana in November 2002. She said that the conference resulted in the formation of business partnerships and relationships.

Dr Hakeem said the conference would not only boost regional co-operation, but also increase trade opportunities among countries in the sub-region.

She said Ghana was chosen for the conference because of her political stability and President John Agyekum Kufour as ECOWAS Chairman and Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Regional Co-operation and NEPAD, as Chairman of the Ministers of Regional Co-operation in the West African sub-region.