An Emirati exports arm has announced a new agreement to boost trade with several West African states.
The Abu Dhabi Exports Office signed today a financing agreement with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development. The deal establishes a $20 million credit line between the two entities for the purpose of boosting trade between the United Arab Emirates and the 15 ECOWAS member states in West Africa, the Abu Dhabi Exports Office said in a press release.
The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development is the financial arm of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The following countries are members: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Why it matters: The UAE is seeking to increase its economic influence on the African continent and has become one of the world’s biggest investors there. Trade between the UAE and Zimbabwe, for example, has increased 300% in the past three years. Last year, the Dubai-based ports firm DP World pledged to invest up to $1.7 billion throughout Africa.
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