Africa seems to offer more potential for Ireland’s exports than China — and both Ireland and its African partners are keen to capitalize on the opportunity.
But with Ireland examining its foreign policy in the first extensive review since 1996, aid experts are urging caution, while Trade and Development Minister Joe Costello has admitted that so far, engaging with the private sector has been “hit and miss.”
Ireland’s Africa Strategy — the framework for all engagement with the continent — seeks “a greater role for Irish business.” This is already a trend driven by growing demand in Africa for dairy or alcohol products, for example, and declining domestic markets in sectors such as construction. By 2012, Irish exports of goods and services to the region reached €2.7 billion, up about 200 percent since 2009, according to the Irish Exporters Association.
About the author
Anna Patton
Anna Patton is a U.K.-based freelance journalist, an associate editor at Pioneers Post, and an accredited trainer in solutions journalism. She previously worked with development NGOs and EU/government institutions in Berlin, Brussels, and Dar es Salaam, and has led media projects with grassroots communities in Uganda and Kenya. Anna is a fellow of On Purpose, a social change leadership program.
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