In a bid to promote investment and strengthen SMEs in northern Ghana, a two-day seminar is underway in Tamale to harness the vast potential of the region for economic growth.
The Northern Trade, Industry and Investment Summit, which started on March 14 and is slated to end on March 18, is being organised by the Centre for Policy Development in collaboration with various organisations, including the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, ADB Bank, Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GTA).
The summit is designed to bring together local industries to showcase their potential, develop their capacity to meet market demands, and build links with the market. The event comprises an exhibition of various products, cultural heritage display, awards night, business seminar, education, and market linkages.
Addressing the opening ceremony, the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, said the event aimed to attract investment to northern Ghana and promote industrial development through value-addition of traditional and non-traditional export products to create employment and improve livelihoods.
“The northern zone produces a lot of quality raw foodstuff and other non-consumables for both domestic and external markets within the country and beyond,” he said.
The northern zone produces a lot of quality raw foodstuffs and other non-consumables for domestic and external markets. However, the primary producers of these goods do not often gain maximum benefits from their produce due to a lack of skills in primary processing of agricultural raw materials to the packaging of finished products, which most often do not comply with high international safety, quality and export standards.
The Executive Director for CPD, Mr. Ismail Yahuza, said the north had abundant resources but lacked investment, making it redundant in generating resources. He added that the event would serve as an opportunity for MSMEs to showcase the potentials that would attract investors to tap into to grow local businesses.
The event also aims to enhance the capacity of MSMEs in technology and innovation to leverage the opportunities offered by the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to grow their businesses and improve the livelihoods of the people in northern Ghana through the development of MSMEs.
The summit provides a platform for policy-makers and policy beneficiaries to work together to chart a path that would help sustain industrial trade and investment in the north. The MSMEs are advised to liaise with the various agencies to grow their businesses to contribute to the socio-economic needs of the country.
The maiden edition of the Northern Trade, Industry and Investment Summit is a unique opportunity for MSMEs to build capacity, create business linkages, and showcase their products. The event will also help attract investors to tap into the abundant potentials of the Northern Region, generating resources for the region and contributing to socio-economic development in the north.
