1st West Africa International Concrete Conference huge success "Attracts 500 delegates"
The International Concrete Conference & Exhibition (ICCX), has been held for the first time in West Africa (Ghana), from April 25-26, 2023, with over 30 companies from 11 countries participating.
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The two-day conference at the Grand Arena, Accra, which was organised by ad-media GmbH, in collaboration with the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana, was attended by over 500 delegates who gained more insight into the concrete industry.
The event which attracted speakers from Europe, the United States of America and Africa, was sponsored by leading industry companies like MC-Bauchemie Ghana Limited, Sika Chemicals Ghana Limited, Saint-Gobain West Africa as well as Ghacem Limited.
Attendees could learn how to improve concrete technology, production processes and got familiar with an exceptional networking opportunity among industry professionals.
Some of the participants in the conference
Speaking at the opening, the Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in Ghana, Sivine Jansen, said it was great to see huge interest and a good number of companies attending the conference.
She said despite the difficult situation in the country, German companies that have pitched camp in the country were growing steadily although at a slow rate.
“They have a slow-growing-but-steady business, with lots of market opportunities that they can tap into, to grow and expand their business.
So far, the experiences we have had with them are very impressive.
“We, therefore, encourage companies to give it a chance and tap into the market.
When it comes to concrete-related businesses, it is very interesting to note that in West Africa, we see the highest population growth and we expect five per cent of the world’s population from West Africa.
“This presents a huge potential for the concrete market in terms of real estate and infrastructure development. In challenging economic times, people tend to invest more in real estate and this also creates opportunities for the concrete market,” she explained.
An exhibitor interacting with a visitor
Open to ideas
Also speaking at the conference, the Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, said the country was excited to be the first country in West Africa to host the ICCX.
He said Ghana was open to new ideas, technology, innovation and investment partnerships in the concrete industry.
He noted that the development of sustainable infrastructure was one of the priorities of Ghana in its quest for economic transformation and development.
He said Ghana and Africa’s economic growth and development were fundamentally connected to its advancement in the infrastructure sector.
This, he said, contributed to the increasing demand for cement concrete and other construction-related materials.
“Available statistics indicate that an estimated 2,500 active building and construction contractors currently operate in the Ghanaian market, with players ranging from indigenous micro-enterprises and individual contractors to foreign multi-national engineering and construction giants,” he stated.
The next edition of ICCX West Africa is scheduled to take place from April 16-17, 2024, at the Grand Arena in Accra.