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Gambia News : Gambia seen as a gateway to Africa
Eric Sheppard sees The Gambia as an emerging market ripe for investment by Virginia businesses in the United States.
On April 25, Sheppard will hold a seminar on doing trade in West Africa, specifically The Gambia — a country that he has visited three times. He's president and chief executive of Diversity Restoration Solutions Inc., a cultural-diversity consulting firm based in Carrollton. The seminar at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton is free.
Sheppard said he made contacts in the government and businesses in The Gambia and saw the country as a gateway to other Western African nations.
"Because of the business opportunities associated with the west coast of Africa, most of the competition American businesses would have would be with China, India and the United Kingdom," Sheppard said. "I think those countries are doing what we would term significant business in Africa, and I think it's time for Americans to look for commerce and trade between West Africa and the states. Some is done on a small scale, but there are opportunities there that we should look to and explore."
The Gambia's top industries include construction, hospitality, tourism, light manufacturing, agriculture, finance, fisheries, energy and mining, transportation, food and drink processing, and telecommunications, Sheppard said.
During the seminar, he plans to talk about the country, its business opportunities and the continent as a whole.
"A lot of the businesses we'll attract have never been to Africa," Sheppard said. "They've probably only seen one aspect of Africa: poverty, AIDS and genocide. That's the only images we tend to speak of here on the news — some of the negative aspects of Africa. We want to enlighten them about some of the business opportunities and the advantages of doing business on the African continent."
The Gambia is an English-speaking country, so there won't be a communication barrier. And it's about only an eight-hour flight from Hampton Roads, Sheppard said.
To promote trade, he's organizing a trade mission from Nov. 16 to 21 to The Gambia. The trip is expected to include meetings with The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as with government, business and banking officials.
Sheppard is also chairman and founder of the Slave Descendants Freedom Society. He originally planned a Gambian trip this year to help descendants of slaves reconnect with their African roots. But he found out that there's a greater interest in business opportunities than among tourists and families, who are watching their wallets.
"They just don't have the money because of the economic crisis here in America," Sheppard said, "whereas businesses are still looking for opportunities, and they're looking globally."
Src: Independent Report by Carrollton consultant
642 times read
- So they don't have money because of the financial crisis in America? What arrogant nonsense to assume that America is the only source of economic activity and how pitiful that they cannot manage their economy.
(Posted on April 13, 2008, 2:59 AM Allen)
- Am happy to see that foreign investors are starting to realise the potential of our small Gambia in the business & economic field
(Posted on April 10, 2008, 7:30 PM Sheriff)
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