The Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFiC) Technical Working Committee has appealed to the ECOWAS Bank of Investment and Development (EBID) for support to implement its Agenda 2031.
It also pleaded with the Bank to nominate a permanent Focal Person to participate in the Committee’s meetings.
The agenda 2031 is aimed at developing a curriculum on African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for students in the African universities to learn about trade integration to help encourage intra-trading in the continent.
The Committee invited the President of EBID to participate in this year’s GITFiC 9th annual meeting to be held from October 29 to November 2, 2025, in Accra, Ghana.
The theme for the conference is “Spurring GITFiC’s Global Debt Initiative: Consolidating Member States’ Gains for Synergistic Impacts,” and will discuss the 2nd Global Debt Initiative to advance solutions for global debt sustainability
The meeting will also hold a maiden AfCFTA Tertiary Students’ Congress, which will focus on empowering Africa’s next generation to shape the future of trade and finance.
It is on the theme, ”Maiden GITFiC-AfCFTA Tertiary Students’ Congress; Widening the Scope of Sensitisation and Implementation with Africa’s Tertiary Educational Structures.”
The Technical Committee members led by Mr Selasi Koffi Ackom, the Chief Executive of GITFiC made the appeal when they paid a visit to the Bank in Togo.
Mr Ackom in a brief speech said the 9th meeting would be more of stakeholder engagement and that a delegation from EBID would be very much welcomed to participate in the conversation.
He said the conference would be attended by heads of state, ministers, central bank convenors, international development experts, global economists, business leaders, academia, and the civil society.
“They will engage in top-level dialogue on debt, trade, and regional integration under the AfCFTA,” the Chief Executive stated, adding, “The gathering promises to deliver thought-provoking discussions, high-level networking, and actionable outcome that will shape the trajectory of Africa’s financial and trade future.”
Mr Ackom presented some official reports of the Technical Committee sittings, documents on the Agenda 2031, Report on the Revisiting of Debt Burden, and Papers on the Global Debt Initiative to the Bank.
Mr MacDonald Saye Goanue, and Dr Joseph Kwadwo Asenso, Director, Department of Research and Strategic Planning; and Head of Division, Macroeconomic Research and Studies respectively led a delegation of the Bank to meet with the GITFiC Technical Committee members on behalf of the President of EBID.
Dr Asenso said the EBID was on the same page with GITFiC of looking beyond theories, conjectures, and ideas and that there was the need for action to push the agenda 2031.
“What they are doing is for the country and the continent as whole. They have gone to the AU, UNICA, and so many other places. The agenda is a very good initiative that they have embarked on.
“So, they need to be supported. We will also do our bit to convince management to see what they would come up with in terms of assistance,” he assured.
The Technical Committee later met a delegation of the Togolese Ministry of Higher Education to brief them on the curriculum being developed by the GITFiC on the AfCFTA and the need for their students to partake.
GNA
