- 50 COSMETICS AND PERSONAL CARE SMEs BENEFIT FROM WACOMP AND GLOBAL SHEA ALLIANCE COSMETIC FORMULATION TRAINING
- EUROPEAN UNION, UNIDO SUPPORT GHANA COSMETICS INDUSTRY TO PROMOTE NATURAL PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS TO STRENGTHEN EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS
- UNIDO - WACOMP GHANA AND GLOBAL SHEA ALLIANCE TRAIN SHEABUTTER COMPANIES IN COSMETICS PACKAGING AND PRODUCT DESIGN WITH EU SUPPORT
- 50 TAMALE SHEA-BASED COSMETIC PROCESSORS TRAINED ON LABELING AND STANDARD COMPLIANCE
- 45 SHEA BASED SMEs TRAINED WITH SUPPORT FROM EU- FUNDED WACOMP – GHANA IN ACCRA
- HAND SANITIZERS TRAINING ORGANIZED BY UNIDO- WACOMP GHANA AND GSA FOR SMEs
- EU, UNIDO WACOMP HOLDS COSMETICS CONFERENCE IN TAMALE
- STAKEHOLDER BRIEFING
- UNIDO HOLDS TRAINING WORKSHOP ON CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT FOR INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE EXPERTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
50 COSMETICS AND PERSONAL CARE SMEs BENEFIT FROM WACOMP AND GLOBAL SHEA ALLIANCE COSMETIC FORMULATION TRAINING
ACCRA, 19thJune 2021 – The West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP), a programme funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization in collaboration with the Global Shea Alliance has trained 50 SMEs in cosmetic product formulation to promote industry sustainability, quality practices, and standards in Accra on Saturday.
The training is part of activities implemented under the WACOMP–Ghana Sub-Contracting Matching Scheme being implemented by GSA to provide technical assistance to SMEs in the Cosmetic and Personal Care Value Chain to strengthen their competitiveness.
Participants were taken through ways of exploring the various functions of ingredients for a consumer, and how to leverage it to create products that are desirable by customers particularly formulation for Shea-base lotions.
The cosmetics producers were also given information on different ingredient suppliers that cosmetic companies have access to in Ghana and took part in B2B sessions to exchange contacts with ingredient suppliers.
Mr. Aaron Adu, the Managing Director of Global Shea Alliance in his opening remarks said the training in collaboration with WACOMP has provided technical assistance to SMEs in the cosmetic and personal care products value chain.
“At the end of the training, you will be able to develop your unique cosmetic formulae with practical demonstration skills on skin lotion formulation,” he assured.
Mr. Charles Kwame Sackey, the Chief Technical Advisor of WACOMP-Ghana recounted the various training since the collaborative effort between Global Shea Alliance and WACOMP while stressing the importance of the formulation training.
“Since September 2020, 150 SMEs in the cosmetic and personal care value chain’s capacity have been built on branding and marketing, packaging, labelling and standard compliance to enhance their ability to produce cosmetic products that can compete internationally,” he revealed.
“The last in the series of capacity building which focuses on product formulation training seeks to equip SMEs with the functionality of different ingredients in formulations in line with customer expectations and to sustain best practices in the cosmetic and personal care products value chain,” he explained.
He advised the SMEs to adopt the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMPs) and relevant product standards from Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) to enhance their compliance to standards in the production of quality cosmetic products and take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA).
_END_
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition and work towards improving living conditions in the world's poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise.
For more information about UNIDO, please visit: www.unido.org
About WACOMP -Ghana
WACOMP is a partnership initiative between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU). The Ghana component is focused on improving the competitiveness of Ghanaian exports with a focus on three main value chains – cassava, fruits (mango and pineapple), cosmetics and personal care products through enhanced value-addition, low carbon sustainable production and processing aimed at increased access to regional and international markets.
For more information about WACOMP Ghana, please visit: West Africa Competitiveness Programme | WACOMP Ghana
About the EU:
The Delegation of the European Union to Ghana is part of the European Union External Service and is one of the more than 130 Delegations worldwide. The Delegation has the status of a diplomatic mission and officially represents the European Union in Ghana.
For further enquiries contact:
Charles Kwame Sackey
Chief Technical Advisor
West Africa Competitiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Cell: +233-246 713698
Email: [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
EUROPEAN UNION, UNIDO SUPPORT GHANA COSMETICS INDUSTRY TO PROMOTE NATURAL PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS TO STRENGTHEN EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS
ACCRA, 7thApril 2021 – The West Africa Competitiveness Program (WACOMP) funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in coordination with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) as part of boosting the cosmetics and personal care industry in Ghana has in partnership with the Association of Ghana Industries(AGI) launched on Wednesday a digital market hub dedicated to promote and market locally produced cosmetics products from Ghana in Accra.
The ‘Ghana Cosmetics Cluster’ platform, designed and developed as part of implementation activities of the WACOMP – Ghana component, will serve as a market hub for SMEs in the cosmetics sector.
The digital platform will also support the cosmetics industry to establish clusters and networks to increase competitiveness.
Mr. Charles Kwame Sackey, Chief Technical Advisor of WACOMP –Ghana, commenting on the launch, said it is inspiring to see this collaborative effort between AGI and WACOMP Ghana to enhance global market access to natural cosmetics and personal care products and promote the competitiveness of the cosmetics sector in Ghana.
"Ghana's natural cosmetics products with support from WACOMP have greatly improved in terms of quality and packaging hence deserves all the support to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opportunities and the international market,” he said
Mr. Seth Twum –Akwaboah, Chief Executive Officer of AGI, expressed gratitude to the WACOMP-Ghana for its consistent support to the Association’s activities over the years and to the European Union for their dedication of funds to support the growth of Ghanaian industries.
“We are very much appreciative of the financial support from the EU and the unique implementation by UNIDO and MoTI through the WACOMP project to facilitate members’ businesses and to promote the quality of Ghanaian cosmetics products,” he said.
Mr. Sandy Osei – Agyeman, the Chairman of the cosmetics sector of AGI and the CEO of Slid Industries Ltd, commended the Ghana cosmetics cluster team for making it much easier to boost the competitiveness of the sector and the products of its members.
Mr. Johnson Opoku-Boateng, Head of the Business Development Unit of AGI, reiterated the importance of the Ghana cosmetic platform to boost the online presence of Ghana natural cosmetic products and encouraged all cosmetic producers of AGI and non-AGI members to take the needed steps to get their products on the platform.
_END_
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition and work towards improving living conditions in the world's poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise.
For more information about UNIDO, please visit: www.unido.org
About WACOMP -Ghana
WACOMP is a partnership initiative between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU). The Ghana component is focused on improving the competitiveness of Ghanaian exports with a focus on three main value chains – cassava, fruits (mango and pineapple), cosmetics and personal care products through enhanced value-addition, low carbon sustainable production and processing aimed at increased access to regional and international markets.
For more information about WACOMP Ghana, please visit: West Africa Competitiveness Programme | WACOMP Ghana
About the EU:
The Delegation of the European Union to Ghana is part of the European Union External Service and is one of the more than 130 Delegations worldwide. The Delegation has the status of a diplomatic mission and officially represents the European Union in Ghana.
About AGI:
The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) is a voluntary business association of over 1200 members. For more information, visit their website: AGI Ghana
For further enquiries contact:
Charles Kwame Sackey
Chief Technical Advisor
West Africa Competitiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Cell: +233-246 713698
Email: [email protected]
Juan Pablo Davila Sanchez
Project Manager
West Africa Competiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Email: [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
UNIDO - WACOMP GHANA AND GLOBAL SHEA ALLIANCE TRAIN SHEABUTTER COMPANIES IN COSMETICS PACKAGING AND PRODUCT DESIGN WITH EU SUPPORT
ACCRA, 24 thFebruary,2021 - The West African Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) - Ghana funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) on Wednesday trained over 40 Shea-based entrepreneurs in cosmetics packaging in Accra.
Mr. Charles Kwame Sackey, the WACOMP - Ghana Chief Technical Advisor in a keynote address said the training which is a sequence to the branding and marketing training in Accra, the Standards and Compliance training in Tamale as part of activities implemented under the project’s Sub-Contracting Matching scheme is to boost the technical and marketing capacities of Ghanaian Cosmetic SMEs. “UNIDO and the European Union through this collaboration with the GSA for shea small and medium based companies is to prepare Ghanaian businesses in the cosmetic industry to be competitive in the global market space,” he said. Mr. Aaron Adu, the Managing Director of Global Shea Alliance said the training aims at providing cosmetic manufacturers in Ghana the ability to understand the various topics connected to packaging designs. Participants were taken through packaging functions for shea-based producers and distinction between labelling requirements and rules packaging with a special focus on legal packaging requirements for the European Union (EU), United States of America (USA) and West Africa. A business to business (B2B) session was also held for the entrepreneurs specialising in producing shea-based cosmetic products including soaps, creams, hair products, and shea butter to engage packaging companies as part of the training. _ END _About the EU:
The Delegation of the European Union to Ghana is part of the European Union External Service and is one of the more than 130 Delegations throughout the world. The Delegation has the status of a diplomatic mission and officially represents the European Union in Ghana.
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Its mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition and work towards improving living conditions in the world's poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise.
For more information about UNIDO, please visit: www.unido.org
About MOTI:
The Ministry of Trade & Industry is the supporting government agency of this programme and the lead policy advisor to the government on trade, industrial and private sector development with responsibility for the formulation and implementation of policies for the promotion, growth and development of domestic, international trade, and industry.
For more information, visit: http://moti.gov.gh/
For further enquiries contact:
Charles Kwame Sackey
Chief Technical Advisor
West Africa Competitiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Cell: +233-246 713698
Email: [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
50 TAMALE SHEA-BASED COSMETIC PROCESSORS TRAINED ON LABELING AND STANDARD COMPLIANCE
TAMALE, 23 rdJanuary,2021 -A cluster of 50 Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) engaged in shea-based cosmetic processing in the northern cluster have undergone capacity-building training on labeling and standard compliance in the Tamale Metropolis.
The training was organized by the Global Shea Alliance (GSA with funding support from the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) - Ghana which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nation’s Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The training in collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) through the WACOMP - Ghana Sub -Contracting Matching Scheme is the second of its kind, geared toward increasing the quality of the shea-based cosmetics products that are marketed for local and international consumption. Mr. Charles Kwame Sackey, the Chief Technical Advisor of WACOMP-Ghana said the sub-contracting matching scheme in support of the training is to help ensure the cosmetic producers understand the registration process and related requirements by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) as they seek to grow their domestic market share and export their products to the international market. “This will, in turn, strengthen the export competitiveness of local producers through enhanced value-addition, low carbon emission, sustainable production and processing, and an increased access to regional and international markets,” he said. Mr. Sackey also reminded the SMEs of the opportunity the African Free Continental Trade Area (AfCTA) offers and why they must always produce to meet the required quality standards. Mr. Prince Nunoo, Project Manager of Global Shea Alliance (GSA) said the alliance will continue to support shea -based SMEs to be sustainable and reiterated that the collaboration between WACOMP-Ghana and GSA will continue to help scale up businesses in Ghana. Mr. Martin Kusi, the Northern Regional Director of the FDA commended the organizers for the initiative, stating that poor labeling and packaging represents one of the biggest challenges for shea-processing SMEs in the region, as it affects the marketability of their products. “Most of the local entrepreneurs are seen producing ineffective labels without batch numbers, manufacturing dates, location address and other relevant details. This makes it difficult for GSA management to certify the products for the market,” he said. Mr. Charles Kuranchie, Chief Quality Assurance officer at the Ghana Standards Authority, stressed that it is an offense to put products on the market without preapproval by the FDA and GSA. He added that there are severe legal repercussions for breaching this directive. _ END _About the EU:
The Delegation of the European Union to Ghana is part of the European Union External Service and is one of the more than 130 Delegations throughout the world. The Delegation has the status of a diplomatic mission and officially represents the European Union in Ghana.
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Its mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition and work towards improving living conditions in the world's poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise.
For more information about UNIDO, please visit: www.unido.org
About MOTI:
The Ministry of Trade & Industry is the supporting government agency of this programme and the lead policy advisor to the government on trade, industrial and private sector development with responsibility for the formulation and implementation of policies for the promotion, growth and development of domestic, international trade, and industry.
For more information, visit: http://moti.gov.gh/
For further enquiries contact:
Charles Kwame Sackey
Chief Technical Advisor
West Africa Competitiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Cell: +233-246 713698
Email: [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
45 SHEA BASED SMEs TRAINED WITH SUPPORT FROM EU- FUNDED WACOMP – GHANA IN ACCRA
ACCRA, 2 ndOctober,2020 -The West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) -Ghana, a programme funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) through its support to the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) has trained 45 Shea based SMEs on branding and marketing in Accra on Tuesday.
The training was attended by small and medium scale companies producing shea-based cosmetic products including soaps, creams, hair products, and shea butter. The topics focused on exploring effective digital marketing platforms to identify buyers of shea based products, understanding marketing investments for tomorrow, developing the right marketing mix for shea products and creating a brand positioning to enhance business export competitiveness. As part of the programme, there was a B2B forum where the SMEs interacted with commercial attaché representing various export markets for shea buyers and retailers from the Ghanaian German Economic Association, Canada Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Sweden Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Ghana-India Trade Advisory Chamber, UK Ghana Chamber of Commerce and African Exporter.com. The GSA through WACOMP’s Sub -Contracting Matching Scheme is implementing a project which will help increase the quality of products, increase productivity through training, encourage cluster development and upgrade of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) capacities. The GSA and the WACOMP-Ghana collaboration is providing technical assistance to stakeholders in the Cosmetic and Personal Care Products Value Chain and help improved cosmetics and personal care products of about 50 SMEs increase sales, profits, and jobs. The Sub-Contracting Matching Scheme is part of WACOMP’s intervention strategy where Associations, Firms and Networks are supported to implement activities that are innovative and complementary to WACOMP’s objectives. Mr. Aaron Adu, Managing Director of Global Shea Alliance in a welcome address said the training programme was designed to identify different marketing approaches that companies can utilize without necessarily having to hire specialists such as social media experts but leverage online influencers to promote their products. “Many entrepreneurs don’t have an employee dedicated to marketing but are rather doing it themselves. This training will therefore provide the SMEs with the skills to do it right and also have the opportunity to reach a wider audience through digital marketing”, he said. Mr. Charles Kwame Sackey, Chief Technical Advisor of WACOMP – Ghana encouraged participants to make use of the skills being impacted through the GSA to be able to also connect to other markets virtually to increase their domestic sales and export. _ END _About the EU:
The Delegation of the European Union to Ghana is part of the European Union External Service and is one of the more than 130 Delegations throughout the world. The Delegation has the status of a diplomatic mission and officially represents the European Union in Ghana.
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Its mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition and work towards improving living conditions in the world's poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise.
For more information about UNIDO, please visit: www.unido.org
About MOTI:
The Ministry of Trade & Industry is the supporting government agency of this programme and the lead policy advisor to the government on trade, industrial and private sector development with responsibility for the formulation and implementation of policies for the promotion, growth and development of domestic, international trade, and industry.
For more information, visit: http://moti.gov.gh/
For further enquiries contact:
Charles Kwame Sackey
Chief Technical Advisor
West Africa Competitiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Cell: +233-246 713698
Email: [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
HAND SANITIZERS TRAINING ORGANIZED BY UNIDO- WACOMP GHANA AND GSA FOR SMEs
ACCRA ,23rdJuly 2020 -The West-Africa Competitiveness Programme in Ghana (WACOMP – Ghana), funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), organized, on 22 nd July 2020, an online training on the national standard for hand sanitizers.
The training organized in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) was aimed at promoting national requirements for alcohol-based hand sanitizers’ production. Over 50 Ghanaian Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) willing to produce high quality hand sanitizers for the national market registered for the training. Mr. Charles Kwame Sackey, the Chief Technical Advisor of the project highlighted that many alcohol-based sanitizers are on the market but not all of them are safe for consumers. “With the EU support and our collaboration with national quality agencies like the GSA, we hope to help Ghana to produce locally high-quality alcohol- based sanitizers in large quantities” he said. Mrs. Francisca Frimpong from the Food, Chemistry and Material Standards Department of the GSA explained in detail the Good Manufacturing Practices, the Product Certification Requirements and checklists for producing alcohol-based hand sanitizers. She emphasized the importance of GS 1303:2020 on specification for alcohol-based hand sanitizer, developed through a partnership between GSA and two UNIDO implemented projects, WACOMP Ghana and the Global Quality and Standards Programme (GQSP), funded by the Swiss Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO). In the conclusion remarks, Ms. Joyce Okoree, the Head of Standards at the GSA, cordially invited companies to contact the GSA for any information on how to produce products compliant with the approved standard. Due to the rising number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Ghana, WACOMP Ghana will continue to support the fight against COVID-19 by strengthening cosmetics clusters producers’ capacities to produce high quality alcohol based hand sanitizers. _ END _About the EU:
The Delegation of the European Union to Ghana is part of the European Union External Service and is one of the more than 130 Delegations throughout the world. The Delegation has the status of a diplomatic mission and officially represents the European Union in Ghana.
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Its mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition and work towards improving living conditions in the world's poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise.
For more information about UNIDO, please visit: www.unido.org
About MOTI:
The Ministry of Trade & Industry is the supporting government agency of this programme and the lead policy advisor to the government on trade, industrial and private sector development with responsibility for the formulation and implementation of policies for the promotion, growth and development of domestic, international trade, and industry.
For more information, visit: http://moti.gov.gh/
For further enquiries contact:
Charles Kwame Sackey
Chief Technical Advisor
West Africa Competitiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Cell: +233-246 713698
Email: [email protected]
Juan Pablo Davila Sanchez
Project Manager
West Africa Competiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Email: [email protected]
Media Contact:
Linda Abena Korkor Gyala
National Expert, Marketing and Communication
UNIDO
Email: [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
EU, UNIDO WACOMP HOLDS COSMETICS CONFERENCE IN TAMALE
TAMALE, 2nd March, 2020 – The West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) organizes on Monday 2nd March and Tuesday 3rd March a Cosmetics conference for entrepreneurs in the Northern region.
The conference, organized in partnership with the Ghana Trade Fair Company as part of the 24th Ghana International Trade Fair, will take place at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale and is expected to host over 80 Cosmetics companies and enterprises.
Commenting on the conference, Mr. Charles Kwame Sackey, the Chief Technical Advisor of WACOMP said the conference is part of the interventions by the project to equip the entrepreneurs to understand the quality regulations and how they apply to their products.
He further indicated that the objective of the conference is to explain the key processes in cosmetic and personal care products registrations and certifications.
“As one of the target value Chain of WACOMP, we want to strengthen the capacity of processors of cosmetics and personal care products to produce high quality cosmetics and personal care products to compete in the regional and international markets” Mr. Sackey said.
Experts from Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Standards Authority and renowned industry players will take turns to provide detail information on quality management principles to the entrepreneurs.
WACOMP is a partnership initiative between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU). It has a bearing on regional economic integration and highlights a commitment to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and West Africa.
The overall objective of the programme is to strengthen the competitiveness of West Africa and to enhance the ECOWAS countries’ integration into the regional and international trading system, including the newly established African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In Ghana, WACOMP seeks to improve the competitiveness of Ghanaian exports with a focus on three main value chains – cassava, fruits (mango and pineapple), cosmetics and personal care products through enhanced value-addition, low carbon sustainable production and processing aimed at increased access to regional and international markets.
The programme which was launched in March 2019 embraces the vision of the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III) and is also aligned to UNIDO’s mandate of fostering Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID).
_ END _
About the EU:
The Delegation of the European Union to Ghana is part of the European Union External Service and is one of the more than 130 Delegations throughout the world. The Delegation has the status of a diplomatic mission and officially represents the European Union in Ghana.
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Its mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition and work towards improving living conditions in the world's poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise.
For more information about UNIDO, please visit: www.unido.org
About MOTI:
The Ministry of Trade & Industry is the supporting government agency of this programme and the lead policy advisor to the government on trade, industrial and private sector development with responsibility for the formulation and implementation of policies for the promotion, growth and development of domestic, international trade, and industry.
For more information, visit: http://moti.gov.gh/
For further enquiries contact:
Charles Kwame Sackey
Chief Technical Advisor
West Africa Competitiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Cell: +233-246 713698
Email: [email protected]
Juan Pablo Davila Sanchez
Project Manager
West Africa Competiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Email: [email protected]
Media Contact:
Linda Abena Korkor Gyala
National Expert, Marketing and Communication
UNIDO
Email: [email protected]
For Immediate Release:
WACOMP HOLD STAKEHOLDER BRIEFING IN ACCRA
ACCRA, 26th September 2019 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the European Union (EU) and the Government of Ghana held a stakeholders briefing of the EU funded West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP).
Since March 2019, WACOMP embraces the vision of the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III) in alignment with UNIDO’s mandate of fostering Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID).
The briefing aimed to foster dialogue among various stakeholders, by creating a key partners platform for media briefings on various themes and interventions that will be implemented by WACOMP - Ghana component.
The programme will support Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) Export School, enhance the GEPA market hub, as efficient market surveillance and strategic tool for supporting the value chains of fruits (mango and pineapple), cassava, cosmetics and personal care products.
WACOMP has established clusters and networks for identifying potential value chains export niches and it will define collective sector export marketing plans for SMEs.
WACOMP is a partnership initiative between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union. It addresses the regional economic integration and highlights a commitment to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and West Africa. The overall objective of the programme is to strengthen the competitiveness of West Africa and to enhance the ECOWAS countries’ integration into the regional and international trading system, including the newly established African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
It seeks to improve the competitiveness of Ghanaian exports with a focus on three main value chains – cassava, fruits (mango and pineapple), cosmetics and personal care products through enhanced value-addition, low carbon sustainable production and processing aimed at increased access to regional and international markets.
_ END _For further information please contact:
Juan Pablo Dávila Sánchez
Industrial Development Officer
Email: [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
UNIDO HOLDS TRAINING WORKSHOP ON CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT FOR INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE EXPERTS
ACCRA, 16thAugust,2019 - The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) with funding from the European Union (EU) trains 20 cluster development experts from relevant institutions responsible for trade industrialization, export, agribusiness, quality infrastructure, trade associations and standards on cluster development in Accra.
The four- day training on UNIDO’s cluster development methodology is aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5, 8 and 9 which calls for the achievement of gender equality, empowerment of women and girls, decent work, resilient infrastructure, inclusive sustainable industrialization; innovation and economic growth It is part of the activities of the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) implemented by UNIDO in partnership with the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) to develop the technical capacity and capability of potential Cluster Development Agents (CDAs) in Ghana. The CDAs after this training are better equipped to help strengthen and facilitate intra cluster exchanges and collective efficiencies for Cassava, Fruits (Mango and Pineapple), Cosmetics and Personal-Care products value chains. Ms. Ebe Muschialli, UNIDO Programme Advisor and cluster development trainer said UNIDO has formulated a modular approach to guide the formulation and implementation of cluster development initiatives. “Each UNIDO module represents a critical phase in the cluster development process which have produced effective project outcomes and best experiences in countries implementing the UNIDO cluster,’’ she said. Mr. Vedat Kunt, a senior international cluster expert and a co-trainer revealed that Governments worldwide regard clusters as potential drivers of enterprise development, innovation and regional competitiveness. “Clusters are considered to be an efficient policy instrument for entrepreneurship and economic development,” Mr Kunt said. “By engaging in joint actions, cluster firms can achieve results that are out of reach for individual enterprises” he added. Clusters and cluster initiatives have in the past 20 years become a key component in utilizing the strengths of national and regional competitiveness strategies. WACOMP- Ghana component through the potential CDAs will contribute to enhancing innovation, growth and competitiveness of SMEs in the cassava, fruits (pineapple and mangoes) and cosmetics sector to build their competitiveness for exports._ END _
About the EU:
The Delegation of the European Union to Ghana is part of the European Union External Service and is one of the more than 130 Delegations throughout the world. The Delegation has the status of a diplomatic mission and officially represents the European Union in Ghana.
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Its mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition and work towards improving living conditions in the world's poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise.
For more information about UNIDO, please visit: www.unido.org
About MOTI:
The Ministry of Trade & Industry is the supporting government agency of this programme and the lead policy advisor to the government on trade, industrial and private sector development with responsibility for the formulation and implementation of policies for the promotion, growth and development of domestic, international trade, and industry.
For more information, visit: http://moti.gov.gh/
For further enquiries contact:
Charles Kwame Sackey
Chief Technical Advisor
West Africa Competitiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Cell: +233-246 713698
Email: [email protected]
Juan Pablo Davila Sanchez
Project Manager
West Africa Competiveness Programme – Ghana Component
Email: [email protected]
Media Contact:
Linda Abena Korkor Gyala
National Expert, Marketing and Communication
UNIDO
Email: [email protected]
ACCRA, 22nd August 2023 – The 2nd Ghana International Cluster Conference attended by over 200 cluster experts, industrial experts, SMES and support institutions across Africa has ended in Accra with calls for more strengthened business clusters across the ECOWAS region and use of cluster development methodology for integration in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The conference, organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the European Union and the Ministry of Trade and Industries (MoTI) on the theme “Ghanaian Clusters, A Driving Force for the Economy”, showcased innovations and successful results in the fruits, cosmetics and cassava value chains targeted by the West African Competitiveness Programme.
Hon. Mr. KT Hammond, Minister of Trade and Industry, in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief Director, Mr. Yaw Nimo said: “Government has prioritized key sectors reflecting Ghana’s commitment to restoring the economy on an irreversible growth path through transformative agriculture, trade, and industry.”
He commended UNIDO and EU for the quality delivery and coordination they have demonstrated over the years working with the Government of Ghana to promote cluster development, industrial competitiveness and economic integration. He highlighted the excellent cooperation with MoTI and the precious support to the government’s “10 points Industrial Transformational Agenda”, with a special emphasis on the One District One Factory, Export Development Programme, Enhancing Domestic Retail Infrastructure and Development of SMEs to impart Government’s objective of job creation.
Mr. Stavros Papastavrou, UNIDO Representative in Ghana and Liberia, praised the joint implementation effort of the Government of Ghana, EU and UNIDO. He said “What WACOMP-Ghana has done is to prove that MSMEs do not need much to contribute to the economic growth of West Africa. What is needed is fair markets, fair trade, and access to finance on fair conditions. I am particularly happy for the Government of Ghana and the European Union for successfully implementing the UNIDO Cluster Development Methodology in the cassava, cosmetics and tropical fruits value chains”.
Mrs. Ebe Muschialli, UNIDO Industrial Development Expert and WACOMP- Ghana Project Manager highlighted: “The joint commitment of UNIDO and the Government of Ghana have helped the supported Clusters and SMEs members to be more competitive to enter the international market. We are proud of the SMEs we have been working with over the past years, as they have gone a long way. They are producing new and more attractive products, that are compliant with international standards. They are now equipped to promote Ghanaian products in Africa and around the world.”
Dr. Charles Kwame Sackey the Chief Technical Advisor of WACOMP- Ghana confirmed clusters are successful drivers for enterprise development, innovation and regional competitiveness and UNIDO considers it to be an efficient policy instrument for entrepreneurship and economic development.
The WACOMP-Ghana has supported over 43,000 actors including primary producers and SMEs.https://youtu.be/BxfZyNz9i6w
Addresses for further enquiries:
Mrs. Ebe Muschialli,
UNIDO Industrial Development Expert
Email: e.[email protected]
Mr. Charles Kwame Sackey
UNIDO Technical Advisor
West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP)
Ghana Component
Email: [email protected]
Cell: +233246713698
Linda Gyala Hofe
National Expert, Marketing and Communication
UNIDO
Email: [email protected]
Cell: +233243425872