The second West Africa Property Investment Summit (WAPI Summit) has ended in Accra with a call on stakeholders to invest in other countries in the sub region.

This two-day conference provided a deep dive into issues affecting the West African real estate market and a start for discussion and solutions building.

The summit also tackled discussions around development, private equity, finance and economics, with insights from some of the best minds in real estate investment today.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director of Standard Bank Cote D’Ivoire, Herve Boyer said West Africa’s growing economies have resulted in an increased demand for quality developments across the real estate landscape.

He indicated that, the West African retail market has been revolutionized over the past ten years adding that, there has been considerable growth in the sector which has meant a significant change in the view of retail investment in the region.

 But recent economic challenges, Mr. Boyer noted have made it difficult for the sector to continue to flourish in the same way as previous years.

He urged stakeholders to consider investing in other countries like Cote D’Ivoire which is having economic boom for profit.

“Investors also need to be prepared to do the hard work of understanding these new spaces. On the ground market research, understanding of consumer patterns as well as socio-political concerns all form part of doing effective due diligence” he added.

Mr. Herve Boyer said Stanbic Bank as a proud sponsor of the WAPI Summit looks forward to meeting with key industry stakeholders, to discuss how they can accelerate the development of the region through partnerships with local and international developer.