“WACOMP-Ghana Highlights the Impact of Agribusiness in the African Sub–Region and its potential” – Lead City University Students

A twenty-one-member student delegation from Lead City University in Nigeria paid a visit to the UNIDO-WACOMP Ghana office in Accra on the 22^nd of November 2022 after an earlier field tour to some beneficiary companies of the project on the 21^st of November 2022 in the eastern region part of Ghana.

This formed part of a study-tour by the post-graduate Agribusiness students of the University. The visit gave the students, the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge and experience of the successes of the WACOMP Ghana project.

In his welcome address, the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) of WACOMP – Ghana, Mr. Charles Sackey, underscored the centrality of the WACOMP project in the overall effort to build competitiveness for exports and economies in various value chains across the sub-region.

“The project is being funded by the European Union (EU) and is currently under implementation in all fifteen (15) West African countries, including Mauritania,” he explained.

“In Ghana, the main objective of the Programme is to build competitiveness for exports and the Ghanaian economy in three main value chains; cassava, fruits, and cosmetics.”

Mr. Sackey, further noted that, while the focus of the project was not on the creation of policy, the activities and outcomes involved therein, served to augment the government of Ghana’s industrialization and value drive – the ‘One District, One Factory’ (1D1F) programme.

The various cluster experts for the three value chains, under the WACOMP Ghana project, facilitated a series of expositions.

Some significant milestones achieved under the project, included building the capacity of twenty (20) local experts in various international standardization and certification requirements to assist the SMEs comply with global standards.

Again, in collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), the Ghana project had supported some SMEs in the various clusters to participate in some international fairs held nationally. This had given these enterprises the much-needed exposure and visibility to deepen connections with existing and potential markets.

The head of the visiting students, Dr Ayodele Afolabi, expressed his appreciation to the WACOMP-Ghana team for the knowledge-sharing opportunity. He noted, “The session had provided invaluable insights into the operations of the project and, most importantly, demonstrated its impact across the various value chains and livelihoods.”

As part of the tour, the students visited some beneficiaries, cluster groups, and companies in the fruit and cosmetics value chains. One of such cluster group was the Qualipine Union – an amalgamation of twelve (12) pineapple-grower associations, supplying fresh fruits to processors and the local market.

Shedding light on their operations, the Union’s Chairman, Mr. Edward Ntow Appiah, highlighted the immense benefits the association members had derived through WACOMP Ghana’s support. “Our members have had their capacity strengthened in good agricultural practices, pest and disease control, proper record-keeping practices and financial management,” he revealed.

 “In addition, the Programme has set up an office to help our members in their record-keeping and twelve (12) demonstration farms to train our farmers in agricultural best practices.”

WACOMP Ghana had also spearheaded the acquisition of a tractor to facilitate land preparation for planting.

The students later paid a visit to an SME in the cosmetic value-chain, ‘Solution Oasis’.

Addressing the students, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Francesca Brenda Opoku, indicated that WACOMP Ghana had been instrumental in enabling her enterprise to achieve the requisite global standardization processes and certification. This significantly boosted the company’s fortunes, in terms of accessing new markets as well as the cascading impact on her business’ sustainability.

“When it comes to the documentation and the paperwork, Africans lag behind,” she lamented.

“This is where WACOMP came in and through their support; issues related to labelling, product categorization and others, have all been resolved, making our products gain global recognition and acceptance.”

Mrs. Opoku admonished the students to approach agribusiness with vision and a focused mindset and be prepared to start small.

“Agribusiness is money and it works to start small, with commitment and meticulousness and a passion to succeed while impacting lives.”

‘Solution Oasis” is a women-led agribusiness, processing personal care products including shea-butter and black soap, under the brand name, ‘Beauty Secrets’.

Through its upscale marketing model and the assistance of WACOMP – Ghana, its products are currently available on the global market.

The company works with rural cooperatives to convert Ghana and Africa’s pure and raw ingredients, mostly from organic sources to produce its line of personal care products.