Dr Koh Poh Koon, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, is visiting two West African nations this week.

Dr Koh's trip kicked off in Ivory Coast on Sunday and today he heads from there to Ghana, where he will stay until Saturday.

He intends to strengthen economic ties and explore business opportunities in the region.

"Singapore can be a gateway for Ivory Coast to access growing markets in South-east Asia and the larger Asia region," said Dr Koh.

He added that Singapore "can also share insights which are relevant to Ivory Coast's developmental needs".

Dr Koh cited construction, agriculture and urban development as potential areas for collaboration between the two countries.

During his visit, Dr Koh has held meetings with several Ivory Coast politicians, including Minister and Secretary-General of the Presidency Patrick Achi, Economy and Finance Minister Adama Kone, Foreign Minister Marcel Amon-Tanoh and the Industry and Mining Minister Kassi Jean-Claude Brou.

The meetings were conducted to strengthen economic ties and bilateral relations.

Dr Koh also launched aluminium composite panels made by Archicom, a Singapore-based aluminium composite materials firm.

The panels are aimed at meeting the growing demand for building- and construction-related services in Ivory Coast. This is Archicom's first foray into Africa.

A delegation of Singapore businesses, led by the Singapore Business Federation and International Enterprise, joined Ivory Coast businesses at the Cote d'Ivoire-Singapore Business seminar held in Ivory Coast.

There, Dr Koh encouraged the two groups to explore opportunities in the region and potential areas for cooperation.

Yesterday, he spoke on public governance at the United Nations Development Programme International Conference on the emergence of Africa.

Sabrina Theseira