Bawumia To Open AfCFTA Themed 2023 New Year School As Special Guest | General News

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is set to open the 2023 New Year School as the special guest of honor on Tuesday, January 17th 2023.

The 74th Annual New Year School comes off at the University of Ghana, Great Hall in Accra.

The four-day conference will be held from Monday, January 16th till Thursday, January 19th 2023 on the theme “Positioning the African Market for Sustainable Economic Development Through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”.

The conference is under the auspices of the School of Continuing and Distance Education, College of Education, University of Ghana, in collaboration with the Ministries of Finance, Education, Communications and Digitization, Trade and Industry, and Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

Aside from the Vice President, other dignitaries expected to appear include Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister for Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum and wealthy Ghanaian businessman, Dr. Daniel McKorley (McDan).

Mr Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, Secretary-General, AfCFTA, will deliver the keynote address at the conference.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), headquartered in Accra, Ghana, is aimed at boosting intra-African trade and strengthening Africa's trading position on the global market.

The theme of the 2023 New Year School is aimed at capturing the options facing Ghana and other African countries due to ongoing economic challenges and providing a space for stakeholders to look at the huge potential Africa can offer within the region.

Dr Simon-Peter Kafui Aheto, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Distance Education, SCDE, University of Ghana who doubles as the Director of the 74th Annual New Year School, said this year's program would contribute to the continent's quest in advancing trade and industry to build a robust African economy that could sustainably contribute to growth in member countries.

He added that the conference creates a platform for every Ghanaian, and every African to have a better understanding and involvement of the whole concept of the AfCFTA.

Since its inception in 1948, the Annual New Year School and Conference has been the flagship program of the University and attracts people from all walks of life to deliberate on topical issues of national and international interests.

It opens at the beginning of every new year.