Accra, Aug 30 (IANS): An Indian business delegation is to visit Nigeria and Ghana as part of an African tour in order to tap into the continent's growing IT market which it said is headed for growth this year with market levels expected to reach $26.53 billion.

The NASSCOM delegation is due to visit Ghana and Nigeria during Sep 15-22 as part of the group's Global Trade Development Initiative to explore new geographies for its members, a statement said.

NASSCOM is the premier trade body and the chamber of commerce of the IT-BPO industries in India. It has more than 1200 members, which include both Indian and multinational companies that have a presence in India.
The statement said the delegation would also visit Kenya which, it said, has "the most aggressive ICT economy in East Africa with the government being proactive and willing to invest in the sector."

"Nigeria is the second biggest economy in Africa and is the largest in terms of its population and opportunity," the statement said, adding that "Ghana offers the most suitable investment climate in the region and is often referred to as the Gateway to West Africa. This delegation would give ample exposure and flavour of the entire African continent."

The delegation is led by Jai Menon, Group CIO of Bharti Enterprises & Director of Global Innovation & IT, Airtel, and Anil Bakht, Managing Director, Eastern Software Systems.

The statement said, "The emphasis of the NASSCOM delegation would be on creating awareness among the local companies about India, identifying potential companies for partnership and building a long-term engagement programme."

The statement said, "Over the past few years, Africa has been one of the faster growing markets worldwide in ICT adoption and communication technology and has the potential of becoming one of the most important markets for the Indian IT industry. The liberalisation of Africa continues and most countries have established regulatory bodies to ensure a fair, competitive and enabling environment."

"NASSCOM is also counting on a $5-billion credit line for Africa signed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to expand trade with Africa in May this year, as offering more opportunities for its members.

The statement said the NASSCOM delegation to Africa last year was well participated and appreciated, adding that "it was through participation in the delegation that member companies realized the huge business potential in Kenya and Nigeria. Feedback from members has indicated that they have started participating in tenders and began submitting proposals both in the government sector and non-govt sectors."