Ghana, Burkina Faso trade about US$1bn annually

The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has disclosed that Ghana and Burkina Faso trade approximately US$1 billion annually.

She said the two countries could strengthen their economic ties by expanding opportunities for artisans and turning locally produced crafts into commercially viable products for international markets.

The minister made the remarks on Friday, October 30, when she represented Ghana as Guest of Honour at the opening of the 2026 International Arts and Crafts Fair (SIAO) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

“Ghana and Burkina Faso already trade approx. US$1 billion a year,” she wrote in a social media post on the same day.

Ms Ofosu-Adjare also conveyed President John Dramani Mahama's greetings to Burkina Faso's President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and the people of the country.

She described SIAO, which has been held since 1988, as Africa's premier meeting place for arts and crafts.

The minister said the continent must move beyond producing crafts at the workshop level and develop the systems needed to process, manufacture and distribute them to wider markets.

“What we must build now is the bridge that carries our crafts from the workshop to the factory floor and onto the shelves of the world,” she stated.

She also encouraged African artisans to value their work and charge prices that reflect its quality and uniqueness.

Ms Ofosu-Adjare said African crafts possess qualities that cannot be replicated by machines and urged artisans to take pride in their products.