Ghana is stepping up efforts to expand economic ties and border trade across West Africa, with Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare set to lead a delegation to Burkina Faso’s premier international trade show this fall.
Ofosu-Adjare will attend the 18th edition of the International Arts and Handicraft Trade Show (SIA 2026) in Ouagadougou, scheduled from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8, where she will deliver a keynote address. The summit brings together artisans, entrepreneurs, and policymakers from across Africa and international markets.
The announcement follows a high-level diplomatic meeting in Accra, where Burkina Faso’s Ambassador to Ghana, David Kabre, led a delegation to formally engage the Ghanaian ministry.
The bilateral meeting underscores growing economic interdependence between the two neighbouring West African nations, particularly in agricultural commodities and light manufacturing.
During the discussions, Kabre highlighted expanding cross-border commerce, pointing specifically to steady growth in poultry & livestock products, rising Ghanaian egg exports north to Burkina Faso, and agribusiness flows expanding bilateral tomato trade, driving commercial supply chains between both countries.
Regional cooperation, according to Ofosu-Adjare, is vital for promoting local industries, supporting small scale artisans, and unlocking commercial opportunities across West Africa.
Ghana’s official participation in SIA 2026 forms part of a broader strategy to solidify trade linkages within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework, whose permanent secretariat is hosted in Accra.
Burkina Faso’s delegation to Accra included Alassane Ouedraogo, Chief Director of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Handicraft, alongside the Director General of the International Handicraft Fair of Ouagadougou.
Ghanaian officials pledged full institutional support for the October exhibition, signaling an appetite to deepen market integration, ease non-tariff barriers, and drive joint venture opportunities in regional consumer goods and creative industries.
