Recent international financial reports (World Bank, African Development Bank, EU, etc.) are showing that the growth rate of African businesses is impressive. Large-scale import/export and venture capital companies are enjoying high returns on direct foreign investments and African people get the benefit of new employment. China business relations with Africa jumped to 14% in 2005 at 13 billion US Dollars. The African continent with a total population of over 800 million people living in 53 countries offers a great opportunity for business, energy gas in Sudan, Nigeria, Angola, among others.

CHUDI INTERNATIONAL ADVICE, took the initiative to organize the first Dutch African Enterprise FAIR in 2006, with the purpose of offering entrepreneurs from Africa and the Netherlands a space to gather for business-to-business investment, matchmaking and networking event. The FAIR will be followup with new FAIR in 2007 to 2010 in the Netherlands and African countries. Businesses from Netherlands, Belgium, Britain and other countries will be invited, as well as African diaspora enterprises.

The FAIR is organised because, we see a positive and bright future in Africa, where new business initiatives, a new proud and confident creative entrepreneural younger generation with global skills and vision have emerged and strongly believe that they will make the difference, will create a better future, good economy, better quality of life and leadership in Africa. The Fair is not a charity. We organize the FAIR as an example of a new commercial approach to international development cooperation, in which successful enterprises and joint business ventures will contribute to economic development and to fight poverty with profit in African countries. Africa has woken up as the last of “sleeping continent’’ and is fast moving into global economy and business. Small and medium enterprises are starting to grow even in the poorest of African countries – Mali, Benin, Rwanda, and Zambia. The Ghana, Botswana, South Africa stock exchanges are one of the most profitable global investment markets. The new and young African business elite have stopped to migrate to the West, and are staying in Africa as their business profit base in Africa in – agriculture, tourism, infrastructure and reconstruction, clean water and sanitation, energy, oil, education, ICTS, tourism, health, outsourcing. Outsourcing of international phone/mobile calls are booming business in Ghana, South Africa, Kenya. The Chinese see the huge business opportunities that exist in Africa, in the 21st. Century - the raw materials, capital ventures and partnerships, energy, minerals, human resources and skills, agri-businesses, large growing middle class market in Africa of 900 million modernizing African population.

The different activities in the Fair provide opportunity to entrepreneurs to get in contact with each other, creating networks that will result in new join ventures in Africa and in the Netherlands.  These contacts will be facilitated and followed up after the FAIR by CHUDI INTERNATIONAL ADVICE and partner organisations in the Netherlands and African countries. The expectation is that once these contacts lead to business partnerships and venturers.

Dutch African Enterprise Fair - Key Activities (2006 – 2010)

Africa Business Road Shows” will be organised as country and specific business sector focused events to promote African business opportunities in Netherlands and in African countries. The events will be organised in close collaboration with African Embassies and Dutch Embassies in African countries.

FAIR Website for Business Matchmaking
A website will be created to promote business opportunities in African countries. The website will also facilitate online business speed-dating, business plan scan, matchmaking, partnerships ventures, and investment opportunities with African countries. The website will facilitate Diaspora investment in African countries.

Branding Africa for Business
Will focus to help brand Africa and African countries for Africa-Africa and Africa global business opportunities

Follow-up FAIR for 2006-2010

In 2007-2010, activities will focus on business ventures that also contribute to poverty reduction in African countries, and businesses that contribute to reconstruction in war and conflicted affected countries in Africa. The overall aim will be to promote business relations and joint ventures partnerships, with focus to small and medium and large business from Netherlands, Belgium, Britain, etc., and enterprises from African Diaspora groups in Netherlands, Britain, etc.

Regional economic organizations will be involved in all the activities – COMESA, ECOWAS, SADC, ECA, AU/NEPAD, UEMOA, UDEAC, UMA, AUF, and North African Economic Union. The intention is to mobilize African business and enterprises with these regional financing and business organizations in Africa. The intention is also to involve business tools in African Embassies in the Netherlands, Dutch Embassies in Africa, FMO and Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Development Cooperation, Economic Affairs, Agriculture, Environment

In 2006-2010, based on consultation with stakeholders in Africa and Netherlands, African Ambassadors, private sectors such as Shell, Rabobank, ABN/AMRO bank, Unilever, Heinekens, Havensbedrijf Amsterdam, WTC and Amsterdam Chambers of Commerce, etc.), the following activities will be carried out;

(i) A Follow-up FAIR will be organised in Amsterdam in 2008. This will be followed by another FAIR in Amsterdam in 2009/2010, to promote business relations with ‘’South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup’’. Participants will include, Dutch, African, African Diaspora enterprises and businesses from Belgium, Britain.
Activities content
The FAIR will especially focus on business-to-business joint ventures partnerships, investment and trade relations that also contribute to fight poverty in African countries;
- Business investment in social services delivery in African countries – energy, clean water & sanitation, HIV/Aids, health, education, housing
- Enterprises that invest in - rehabilitation, reconstruction in post-war conflict countries in Africa - Angola, Liberia, Dem Rep of Congo, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Sudan, Uganda
- Enterprises in CDM business opportunities for Africa
- Business for “Branding” Africa and African countries for successful global business (e,g. sports as Africa’s successful product).
- Agro-business / Micro Credits
- Tourism
- Investment, trade, Venture Capital business partnerships in Africa
- Transport and infrastructure
- “Equator Principles” for Business in Africa
- ICTS/telecommunication
- CSR as Social Change Agent to promote business opportunities in Africa, and “CSR Code for - - - -Business Opportunities in Africa”

(ii)Follow-up FAIR in Africa 2006-2010.
The feasibility to carry out these activities will be investigated and will be carried out with Dutch and African stakeholders involved;

East/Central Africa FAIR 2007/8.
The Uganda Ambassador and Uganda Minister of Trade, have officially requested that a follow-up FAIR to be organised in Kampala in 2007, with a regional focus to include - Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, etc.

West Africa FAIR 2007/2008.
Some African Embassies - Nigerian, Ghana, others, are in consultation to agree on a plan for organising a regional West African FAIR in 2007/8, possibly in Abuja Nigeria. It is recognised that a successful regional FAIR in Nigeria, with ECOWAS States, will play major role to brand West African countries and Africa in general for global business And will also create positive image away from conflicts, political instability, ethnic and civil wars

North Africa FAIR 2007/8.
Some embassy - Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria have shown positive interest for organising a Dutch/African business-to-business FAIR in North Africa region.

Southern Africa FAIR 2009/10.
The intention is to organise all Africa FAIR to promote business opportunities in Africa with ‘’South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup’’ in South Africa in 2009/2010. Participants will include businesses from Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg, Britain, Diaspora enterprises from Netherlands, US, EU

FAIR Organising Partners/Committee
The Fair will be organized, as non profit event, by CHUDI INTERNATIONAL ADVICE (Chudi Communication Consult) in collaboration with a network of many professional organizations;
- CHUDI INTERNATIONAL ADVICE (Chudi Ukpabi)
- Global Accountability (Maartje van Putten)
- FMO (Ben Zwinkels)
- TEAMPRO (Rachel Tocklu)
- EVD (Evert Baarspul )

In consultation/collaboration with
- African Ambassadors
- Ministry of Foreign, Economic Affairs the Hague/EVD, Environment, Agriculture
- Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce
- Int-Ent, ICCO, NABC, SANEC
- NCDO (Caroline Veldhuizen / Thierry Sanders)
- EU, ADB, WB/IFC, NEPAD
- AFRICA RECRUIT London
- Dutch private sectors such as Shell, Rabobank, ABN/AMRO bank, Unilever, Heinekens, - -Havensbedrijf Amsterdam, and WTC Amsterdam

Advisers
- Andre Dellevoet, Dutch Embassy Kampala
- Chamber of Commerce Amsterdam
- Jacqueline Cramer (Prof. Sustainable entrepreneurship Utrecht University)
- Maartje v Putten (ex-Inspection Team Worldbank / Global Accountability)
- African Ambassadors in the Netherlands
- Ben Zwinkels (FMO)
- Maya vd Steenhoven (EZ/EVD)
- G.N. Fokkema (Shell Netherlands)
- Thierry Sanders and Caroline Veldhuizen (NCDO)
-Paul Hassing (DMW/IB)

Funding/Financing Expenses Plan
A funding request will be made to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Development Cooperation to support preparation of full organizational and implementing business plan for organizing a FAIR in 2008 in Amsterdam. The expectation is to acquire implementation from other organizations such as Dutch private sectors, EU, WB/IFC and possibly ADB. A short budget outline is defined below.