West Africa Meets Aberdeen – And Business Happens

The Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA) has welcomed a delegation of business leaders from Côte d’Ivoire, Angola and Nigeria to Aberdeen for a highly successful three-day programme of site visits, business meetings, networking and engagement with Scotland’s energy sector.

The visit, which took place alongside the Energy Industries Council’s (EIC) Energy Exports Conference, was designed to give delegates a valuable insight into Scotland’s energy expertise while creating direct connections with Scottish businesses and organisations.

The programme began on Tuesday with site visits to Texo Engineering & Fabrications and Cadherent, giving delegates the opportunity to see Scottish engineering and technology capabilities first-hand and meet the teams behind the businesses. These visits provided an important introduction to the breadth of expertise within Scotland’s energy and engineering supply chain, while allowing the delegates to gain a practical understanding of the businesses and capabilities they could potentially work with.

Wednesday and Thursday focused on creating direct commercial connections. SABA arranged a packed programme of pre-arranged 1:1 meetings between the delegation and Scottish businesses, with meetings taking place across both days.

For businesses visiting a new country and looking to understand a new market, knowing where to start can be one of the biggest challenges. By arranging targeted meetings in advance, SABA gave delegates a valuable head start – connecting them directly with relevant Scottish businesses and creating opportunities for meaningful conversations about partnerships, supply chains and future trade.

The strong appetite for engagement was also evident at SABA’s seminar at the Energy Exports Conference, which was packed to capacity with standing room only. The event brought together Scottish businesses interested in opportunities across African markets and generated a lively discussion around the potential for greater collaboration between Scotland and West Africa.

The delegation also took part in the EIC Gala Dinner on Wednesday evening, providing an opportunity to continue building relationships in a more informal setting. Following a full day of business meetings, delegates enjoyed a very Scottish evening, including a traditional ceilidh and, of course, some Scottish whisky.

SABA CEO Frazer Lang said: “This mission has been a fantastic example of what can happen when you put the right people in the room and create the right opportunities for them to connect.“Over three days, our delegates were able to see Scottish businesses and capabilities first-hand, meet potential partners through our 1:1 programme and engage with the wider energy community at the EIC conference.

“The response has been tremendous. Our delegates brought real enthusiasm and curiosity to every meeting and Scottish businesses were equally keen to understand the opportunities available across Côte d’Ivoire, Angola and Nigeria.

“For SABA, this is what international trade is about. It’s about moving beyond conversations about markets and actually creating the connections that can lead to partnerships, investment and real business. We’re excited to see where these relationships go next.”

The three-day programme highlighted the significant potential for stronger commercial links between Scotland and West Africa, particularly across energy, engineering and related supply chains.

It also demonstrated the value of creating opportunities for businesses to meet face-to-face. For the visiting delegates, the programme provided access to Scottish businesses and expertise, while Scottish companies had the opportunity to learn directly from businesses operating in three important African markets.

The delegation received an overwhelmingly positive response to the programme, with delegates praising the quality of the meetings, the opportunity to see Scottish businesses first-hand and the warm welcome they received throughout their visit and may have now left Aberdeen, but the conversations and relationships established during the visit provide a strong foundation for future collaboration between Scotland and West Africa.