Togo, Benin, Nigeria, 25 November – 11 December 2023
West Africa is a rapidly connecting region, ECOWAS and private sector initiatives drive regional cooperation here. Togo, Benin and Nigeria offer numerous opportunities for investment. These countries are not only geographically close but also well connected through modern roads and infrastructure making the border crossings easy. All three countries work hard to increase electrification, especially in previously underserved
rural areas. In total, the Private Sector Mission brought 25 German companies from the energy, agribusiness, and food-processing sectors to West Africa, who had the chance to meet local partners and establish meaningful business connections on the ground. The 5 networking events in Lomé, Cotonou, Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan and Abuja gathered more than 500 local participants who connected with the delegation and discussed possible future cooperation.
Private Sector Mission Benin
Benin’s economy is largely agrarian, making agriculture a promising sector for investment. With fertile soil and a favorable climate, the country is well-suited for the cultivation of crops like cotton, maize, cassava, and oilseeds. Entrepreneurs can explore opportunities in agribusiness, such as food processing, agroexport, and the development of value-added products. In cooperation with the APIEx, the Beninese
national investment and export promotion agency, the delegation visited the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone, which is set to cover a total area of 1640 hectares, and which offers a one-stop shop for investors. The women-led juice maker Jus Tillou showed
how determination and the quest for quality can open new value chains for pineapple production. Like Togo, Benin is also expanding the access to renewable energy, and one of the participating companies will be launching a containerized solution in early 2024. A B2B-event at the Benin Chamber of Commerce of Industry attracted participants from across the country, with a strong focus on the processing of agricultural products.
Private Sector Mission Togo
Togo is a country of 9 million inhabitants with access to the sea that borders Ghana, Benin, and Burkina Faso. The two ports of Togo have been modernized during the last decade, turning the country into a major trade hub for the West African region. Agricultural products make up most exports. Cash crops like coffee, tea, cocoa, beans and peanuts generate more than 25% of export revenue. Coupled with an ambitious rural electrification policy, the country offers untapped business opportunities and high growth potential, especially in the agribusiness and energy sector. Based on the needs of the local market, ITPO Germany invited a selected group of companies consisting of investors from the energy sector, producers of industrial equipment and solutions
for the food industry. At meetings with an investment fund, the rural electrification agency, local agribusiness companies SNB and NIOTO and the management of PIA, the biggest agro-industrial park, the business representatives discussed industrial upgrading, the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy and financing options
for joint projects. During a B2B meeting organized in partnership with the Togolese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, around 100 local business representatives discussed investment projects and partnership opportunities.
Private Sector Mission Nigeria
During the mission to Nigeria, the delegation visited leading industrial companies in the food processing, packaging and energy sector in Lagos, Oyo and Ogun States and Abuja. ITPO Germany, in cooperation with local partners, organized a dedicated financing workshop and three separate networking events in Lagos, Abeokuta (Ogun State) and Ibadan (Oyo State), with altogether over 350 external guests, including high-level participation by the Hon. Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce and Investment, Foloshade Ambrose Medebem, representatives of commercial banks,
the national and regional Chambers of Commerce (NACCIMA) and Investment Promotion Agency (NIPC). The delegation engaged with policy makers, including the Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency Seyi Makinde, and visited project sites of private operators of industrial zones such as Nigerdock, Lagos Free Zone (Tolaram) incl. Lekki
Deep Sea Port, ARISE IIP in Lagos and Ogun State. State-level initiatives to build agro-industrial zones and incentives, coupled with the emerging infrastructure and privately-owned free zone operators, with their ready infrastructure and taxincentives, offer ample business opportunities for investments in these locations. During the final
days of the Private Sector Mission, the delegation visited Nigeria’s capital Abuja and attended an investment summit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organized by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). The trip was finally concluded by a meeting with the National Agency for Science & Engineering Infrastructure – NASENI,
a governmental institution with the mandate to conduct developmental work in the areas of manufacturing and infrastructure.
