The 2016 Water Africa and West Africa Building and Construction exhibition started in Accra, capital of Ghana, on June 22.

The three-day exhibition is aimed at creating a two-way flow of information for participants, and to help exhibitors analyze their sector needs and take steps for expansion and improvement. More than 70 exhibitors from 19 countries, including five from China, were at the show.

Some of the Chinese exhibitors deal in pipes and filters, while the others are involved in export and import of water and construction facilities.

Alex Li, of Sego International Exhibitions, which organized the Chinese team, says the exhibition will help promote Chinese products in Ghana and other West African markets. "We've been involved with this event for about six years, and every year we bring many Chinese exhibitors," he says.

Lily Zeng, of Hangzhou Bluesteel Machine Co, a supplier of roofing materials, thinks there is a good market for their products in Ghana. "We think the response is good," she adds.

Another Chinese exhibitor from Hydrotek Co Ltd, who gave her name only as Ada, says her outfit will reach more clients in the sub-region through Ghana.

"We want to introduce our products to the clients here because I think Ghana has a very big market for water treatment," she says. "The response has been very good, and I hope we have chances to cooperate more with local clients."

In his speech to open the fair, Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, Ghana's minister of water resources, works and housing, called on participants to use the platform to find solutions to address the effects of climate change in water supply and housing delivery in the West African nation.

"I also urge participants of this program to come with innovative ideas to improve the delivery of housing that will be affordable to the middle- and lower-income brackets," he added.