Women-led agribusiness owners from the Upper West, Savannah, and Northern regions of Ghana gathered to engage with investors, development partners, and other stakeholders to explore ways to grow their businesses.

The event was organized by the Growth 2 Project, which aims to support women in the agribusiness sector. According to Francis Esuman, Country Project Manager for the Growth 2 Project;

“Most of the women in the agribusiness sector face challenges, with the topmost being finance. We work with women agribusinesses, and we realized that over time, as we work on the project, the women agribusinesses that we are working with face a lot of challenges. One of the major challenges that they face is access to finance.”
Mr. Francis Esuman

Dr. Richard Yemuwa, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Science, emphasized the importance of collaboration for sustainability.

“The collaboration is very important for the sustainability of the gains made. Good projects come to an end after a few years, but this kind of interaction, and networking must continue and for sustainability, UDS will carry it off.”
Dr. Richard Yemuwa Senior Lecturer

Meanwhile, Agribusiness owners shared their expectations from the event and how excited they are looking at the impact of the forum on them.

“For me, I think it’s an eye-opener. It will go a long way to broaden the horizon in the field for us. If the premiers are supported by what we do, we source the product from the farmers. So at least they’ll also be able to generate income to take care of their children.’
Participant in the event.

Dr. Pierre Kadet, Senior Regional Director for West and Central Africa, highlighted the challenge of financial inclusion for smallholder farmers.

“Financial inclusion of women, smallholder farmers in particular remains a challenge, particularly about access to formal financial services. It is against this background that this forum is crucial to discuss the various ways and strategies that can help improve financial inclusion and impact investing in ways that will also benefit women’s smallholder farmers.”
Dr. Pierre Kadet, Senior Regional Director for West and Central Africa

Ajia Hawa Musa, Northern Regional Director for Agriculture, acknowledged that more needs to be done in the agricultural sector emphasizing the Plight of the challenges Northern Agric business women go through, particularly in the area of finance.

“A lot more needs to be done, particularly when we consider the fact that the majority of women-led agribusinesses in Northern Ghana are struggling, desperately requiring financial and other essential support to be able to survive.”
Hajia Hawa Musa, Northern Regional Director for Agriculture

The event aimed to address the challenges faced by women-led agribusinesses, particularly in accessing finance and formal financial services within the Northern sector.

Financial Inclusion and Investment Impact

By bringing together stakeholders and investors, the forum sought to explore strategies for improving financial inclusion and impact investing in the sector. In addition, the event provided a platform for women agribusiness owners to share their experiences and challenges, and to learn from each other.

“It’s an opportunity for us to come together, share our experiences, and learn from each other. We can also identify potential investors and partners to support our businesses.”
Participant in the Event

The Growth 2 Project, which organized the event, is committed to supporting women in the agribusiness sector. According to Francis Esuman,

“We are working to address the challenges faced by women agribusinesses, particularly in accessing finance and formal financial services. We believe that by supporting women in the sector, we can improve their livelihoods and contribute to the growth of the economy.”
Mr. Francis Esuman

The event highlighted the challenges faced by women-led agribusinesses in Ghana, particularly in accessing finance and formal financial services. However, it also provided a platform for stakeholders to come together and explore strategies for improving financial inclusion and impact investing in the sector. As Dr. Richard Yemuwa noted;

“The collaboration is very important for the sustainability of the gains made. We must continue to work together to support women in the agribusiness sector.”
Dr. Richard Yemuwa Senior Lecturer