The Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) Turkey-Africa Business Councils run their activities with the mission of the development and diversification of economic relations with the African continent. DEİK Turkey-Africa Business Councils are planning on organizing their first major event of 2018, the Turkey-ECOWAS Economic Business Forum, which will bring together the business worlds of both Turkey and West African countries.

Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci and 15 ministers from the Economic Community of West African States, as well as more than 1,000 Turkish and African business people are expected to participate in the event. DEİK will host the event in Istanbul under the coordination of the Ministry of Economy and in cooperation with the ECOWAS on Feb. 22-23.

Thematic sessions and one-to-one meetings will be held between ECOWAS state officials and representatives from the business world at the forum. In the opening session, the public sector and the representatives of prominent regional financial and development-oriented organizations will examine the current state of relations and the potential for development and improvement between Turkey and ECOWAS countries. In the thematic sessions, the Economic Cooperation Organization Trade and Development Bank (ECOBANK) and Turkish Eximbank representatives will discuss opportunities for trade financing in the ECOWAS region. They will also share their experiences with the representatives of Turkish companies investing in the region.