Investing in Africa
As a young man, I spent part of my early career working as an auditor in West Africa which gave me the opportunity to discover a fabulous continent poised for extraordinary growth.
Since then, countries like Ghana, Senegal and Nigeria have radically transformed. A report by The Guardian last year observed that the population of the Nigerian economic capital Lagos is already forty times bigger than it was in 1960, with other urban centres set to grow at the speed of light in the coming decades. The UN projects that by 2100 the 600-mile stretch of coastline between Lagos and Abidjan is expected to see population figures rise to half a billion, with Africa itself accounting for 40% of the total global population.
Having keenly followed some of the developments inside the region where I once lived, it has been heartening to see the immense progress that has been achieved. West Africa has now seen nearly two decades of sustained economic growth, creating a range of new business opportunities that have led to more people being economically empowered than ever before.
I’m proud that Intertek is a part of this major transformation, particularly with our work in Cameroon. We have recently been supporting the opening of a new shopping mall in Douala, set to be the largest ever built in West Africa, providing certification for everything from consumer goods to toys and food products.
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Intertek’s Certificate of Conformity for Exports from Cameroon will allow businesses to better maintain the quality of their products, ensuring that they meet the standards required for export and providing a boost to intra-regional trade which is vital to the economic future of all West Africans.
I am proud that our Quality Assurance solutions at Intertek provide the right support to a rapidly growing region whose prosperity is so close to my heart.