Lagos, Nigeria – The Borderless 2014 Conference, from February 26 -28, 2014, in Lagos, brings together trade and investment professionals to focus on eliminating barriers to trade in West Africa. The conference was organized by the Borderless Alliance, in conjunction with the Nigeria Export Import Bank (NEXIM), with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

In opening remarks at the conference, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria James F. Entwistle said “Facilitating trade is not merely a development objective – it’s a development imperative. Since 2011, the Borderless Alliance has been the focal point for identifying barriers to trade and bringing together trade and investment professionals to work on common solutions….With freer trade comes increased economic growth and prosperity throughout the region.  The United States is here to lend our assistance to reach these goals.”

At Borderless 2014, both public and private sector stakeholders will come together to focus on enhancing trade throughout the region. The conference includes sessions on trade facilitation protocols, overcoming border crossing challenges, ICT in trade facilitation and comparison of transport sectors for intra-regional trade, as well as financing the trade and transport sectors and enabling growth.