By Michael Adaji, Communications Specialist The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub convened a landmark Partnership Summit on June 24, 2024, at the Abuja Continental Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria. The event, themed “Collaborating for Enhanced Food Security in Nigeria-Fostering Competitiveness, Sustainability, and Resilience,” brought together Trade Hub grantees, private-sector experts, government representatives, industry leaders, […]

By Nana Akua Mensah, Communications Specialist In West Africa, where socio-political conditions and heavy reliance on agriculture and extractive industries make private-sector financing difficult to attract, governments and donors must invent innovative approaches to secure the investments needed for social impact projects. One such approach is blended finance, which uses catalytic capital from public or […]

By Tia Swain, Communications Specialist The ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, to inaugurate AMAATI’s newly constructed fonio processing factory in Tamale (Northern Region, Ghana) was attended by dignitaries whose very presence marked the factory’s significance for the community, region, and the nation. These guests of honor included: the Paramount Chief of Nanton, Nanton Naa […]

By Salimata Dia, Communications Specialist The Senegalese agricultural industry witnessed a landmark event as Biosene proudly inaugurated its new industrial cereal production unit. This milestone, achieved after 36 months of dedicated efforts and collaboration, was supported financially and through the technical assistance of the USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub). Biosene factory […]

By Nana Akua Mensah, Communications Specialist From modernizing agriculture with climate-smart technologies to revitalizing long-standing family-run fishing and fish processing businesses, and pioneering the country’s first impact investment fund, the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) has left an indelible impact on the economy of Cabo Verde. By successfully delivering $2.4 million […]

By Salimata Dia, Communications Specialist The USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) orchestrated a Learning Event on May 23, 2024, hosted at the Azalaï Hotel in Dakar. The Learning Event marked a significant milestone in advancing inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Senegal through strategic co-investments; as such, the gathering united a diverse […]

A sense of celebration filled the air, mingled with the rich scent of fresh pineapple, as guests arrived at the Promo Fruits Pineapple Processing Factory in Allada, around an hour’s journey outside of Cotonou, Benin. Held on Thursday, April 18, 2024, the long-awaited ceremony, celebrating the expansion of the pineapple juice factory, was a resounding […]

Libassa Ecolodge Unveils Warkolor Jungle Lodge & Forest Reserve in Liberia, Boosting Bio- Diversity, Conservation and Employment By Michael Adaji, Communications Specialist The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) co-investment partner, Libassa Ecolodge, has launched its new ecolodge, Warkolor Jungle Lodge & Forest Reserve, in Robertsport, Grand Cape County. The event, which […]

By Michael Adaji, Communications Specialist In Nigeria, high-end food producers rely heavily on imports because locally produced grains often fall short of basic food quality standards, attributed to the incapacity of local agribusinesses to generate and deliver substantial quantities of food-grade grains. However, with the disruption caused to global supply chains and imports by the […]

Since its peak during the Israel-Benin cooperation era in the 1970s, Benin’s citrus value chain has faced a series of setbacks. The end of Israeli support in 1973 left the industry in turmoil, characterized by inferior planting materials, suboptimal farming practices, significant post-harvest losses, and a lack of cooperative marketing efforts. The government of Benin […]

In Senegal, where access to affordable and quality healthcare is limited for women and children from low-middle income families, Nest for All (NEST) is changing lives through its co-investment partnership with USAID’s West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub). Three remarkable women—Florence Sambou, Ndeye Fatou Diouf, and Bigué Ndiaye—are at the forefront of this […]

By Michael Adaji, Communication Specialist Utilizing a combined market-driven approach and blended finance solutions to tackle a variety of locally unique challenges, the USAID Trade Hub (Trade Hub) has been positively impacting the region’s economic clime. A notable example of this comes from the collaboration with WACOT Rice Ltd. (WRL) in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Confronted […]

“USAID/Trade Hub partnership was an accelerator to scale our social but profitable business model across West Africa to make KKWA self-reliant, meet customer need through export, notably to the U.S., benefit farmers, and improve biodiversity.” Sylvain John Cattin, MD KKWA KKWA’s professionalizing over 1,200 beekeepers in eight countries in West Africa includes equipping them with […]

The USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) hosted a knowledge-sharing and learning event themed, “Food Security & Trade: Driving Impact” on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, Ghana. The event convened over 60 in-person attendees, including USAID and Trade Hub representatives, the Trade Hub’s co-investment partners in Ghana, […]

By Michael Adaji USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) co-investment partner, WACOT Rice Limited (WACOT), held a closing out ceremony to mark the successful conclusion of its co-investment partnership. The event, which celebrated three years of dynamic collaboration with the Trade Hub, was held on February 13, 2024, at Fraser Suites Abuja. […]

In an effort to comprehensively communicate the successes of its collaboration with USAID under the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) initiative, Koster Keunen West Africa (KKWA) led a virtual grant closeout event on February 2, 2024. The event marked the successful conclusion of a three-year co-investment partnership that significantly contributed to the […]

The Trade Hub partner, ReelFruit (Nature’s Bounty), inaugurated its new factory in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. The inauguration, which was marked by a ceremony held at the new factory premises on February 15, 2024, underscores the grantee’s determination to create value while promoting inclusive jobs and advancing smallholder farmers. USAID/Nigeria’s Deputy Mission Director, Ms. […]

Wild dura palm is a native species and is widespread throughout the West Africa sub-region, including Liberia. Red palm oil, made only from dura palm, is the staple vegetable oil within Liberian cuisine, but despite the trees being abundant, around 35 percent of its palm fruit is left unharvested every year due to limited infrastructure […]

Seynabou Ndour, a young female kiosk operator in sicap mbao, Dakar, Senegal. Photo Credit West Africa Water For Yaye Seynabou Ndour, a young female entrepreneur in Senegal, the goals and efforts of West Africa Water SA (WAW) have created major changes in her personal and professional life. In 2019, WAW emerged as a fully owned […]

On December 14, 2023, at the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, a remarkable event unfolded. The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub), together with its five co-investment partners in Côte d’Ivoire, held a learning event themed, “Leading the Path to Sustainable Impact: Lessons from USAID Trade Hub Co-Investment Partnerships,” to spotlight […]

Kudos to our co-investment partners and their teams for the transformational impact they are spearheading across West Africa! In a world where collaboration is often the key to success, celebrating our partnerships and their profound impact on sustainable economic growth is both timely and essential. The USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub’s (Trade Hub’s) […]

Nut for Growth Co-Investment Partner, Transforming Shea Production in Ghana Shea butter is a prized commodity around the world, serving as a vital raw material for the food and cosmetic industries. In West Africa, Ghana stands out as the leading exporter of unrefined shea butter, and the country has made significant strides to strengthen its […]

Located in the central Atlantic Ocean directly west of Senegal, picturesque Cabo Verde is home to a burgeoning aquaculture industry. An integral part of the local economy, fishing provides a livelihood for thousands of people. Among the many, one family-owned business stands out, seeking to harness and expand the archipelago’s fishing industry. Family-owned Fresk D’Gustinh […]

By Tia Swain Collaboration. Innovation. Transformation. These three words punctuated each segment of “Leveraging Private Sector Engagement to Promote Sustainable Impact,” the Learning Event for USAID’s West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) held on September 6-7, 2023, in Abuja, Nigeria. With the entrance to the event’s venue lined with stunning photographs artistically illustrating […]

La Laiterie du Berger Expands the Milk Industry, Improving the Lives of Farmers and Reducing Senegal’s Reliance on Imports Senegal’s dairy sector holds significant socio-economic importance for rural communities. While the consumption of dairy products in the country is steadily increasing, the local milk collection rate remains relatively low. Remarkably, nearly 90 percent of the […]

The Challenge Agriculture remains the base of the Nigerian economy, providing the main source of livelihood for most Nigerians. Despite the enormous advantages amassed in agriculture, the sector continues to face many challenges including very low irrigation development and limited adoption of research findings and technologies. At the same time, farmers struggle with the high […]

The Challenge Although women operate more than 40 percent of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa, they rarely have access to the tools they need for their      businesses to succeed. A financing gap of $42 billion exists between male and female entrepreneurs on the continent. Women face challenges gaining access to the knowledge and […]

The Challenge Although Ghana has achieved a remarkable level of poverty reduction and economic growth, that growth has been unequal, with most of the country’s poor concentrated in rural areas. The Upper West Region has made the least progress in poverty reduction due to its geography and ecological characteristics. The Region is challenged by poor […]

The Challenge Millions of women living in the semi-arid “Shea Belt” that spans the Sahel region make their livelihood collecting shea nuts and processing them into shea butter. The global market for shea has seen exponential growth as the ingredient has become vital for the beauty and food industries. While Ghana is one of the […]

The Challenge In Senegal, people of low and middle income confront disparities in access to quality health services. In the critical sector of women’s and children’s care, people outside the capital also face acute geographical disparities, as the majority of services are concentrated in the center of Dakar, leaving the rest of the country underserved. […]

The Challenge In West Africa, multiple factors make communities more vulnerable to food insecurity. Rural communities have limited means of coping with sudden rises in food prices, a precarious situation heightened by the sub-regions continued dependence on food imports. Companies in the agricultural sector are trying to reduce that dependence and strengthen food security, but […]

The Challenge Maize and rice remain the most sought-after staple foods in Nigeria, with the maize farming sector accounting for 5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Although the quantity of milled rice produced in Nigeria increased steadily over the past decade, reaching 5.4 million metric tons in 2022, nevertheless production of maize and […]

Les petits agriculteurs nigérians produisent environ 90 pour cent de la nourriture du pays. Bien qu’ils constituent l’épine dorsale nutritionnelle d’une population de plus de 200 millions d’habitants, nombre d’entre eux sont confrontés à un cycle continu de pauvreté et d’insécurité alimentaire. Vivants dans des communautés rurales et parfois isolées, ils n'ont pas souvent accès aux transports, aux moyens de stockage ainsi qu’aux informations sur les marchés, ce qui les oblige à vendre leurs produits à des prix défavorables dans l'espoir de minimiser les pertes après récolte.

Savannah Fruits Company Achieving Equity in the Shea Value Chain Rahma Alhassan dips her hands into a silver pan filled with hundreds of shea nuts. She is surrounded by other women from her community, all conversing animatedly as they are entering the compound, gracefully balancing loaded pans, carefully washing the nuts, rhythmically kneading shea paste. […]

In Senegal, Club Tiossane—an online, multi-channel delivery service—is working to provide market access for food producers in Senegal. Club Tiossane identifies and sources from hundreds of local food businesses to then distribute products to households, supermarkets, gas stations, and informal shops. In the last year alone, suppliers’ sales grew three times faster than the previous […]

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the significant impact women-led businesses can have on economies and societies globally. In West Africa, women have played a pivotal role in driving economic growth and social development; however, despite their significant contributions, women-led/owned businesses often face numerous challenges in accessing finance, knowledge, and skill-building […]

Climate predictability is crucial to agricultural productivity around the world—a fact that is certainly confirmed in the agricultural sector in West Africa. Consequently, agriculture, especially through large-scale farming enterprises, is deemed a risky financial investment, leaving the industry in West Africa to be primarily driven by smallholder farmers working on one to two acres of […]

Clean energy is a critical component of sustainable development throughout the world. Clean energy technology not only improves the quality of life by reducing air and water pollution, but it also mitigates energy dependence by creating renewable resources in local communities. For agribusiness and production, it serves as an integrated alternative to reducing the inflated […]

By Kayode Ibrahim, Public-Private Partnerships Officer Most business ventures reach success after navigating through instances of “trial and error.” Such is the case for many of the companies in West Africa, and for Nalmaco Nigeria Limited (Nalmaco), a food and processing company in Kaduna State, the errors were causing significant losses. In its nearly four […]

Women’s economic participation is critical for West Africa’s prosperity; therefore, promoting women’s leadership development and entrepreneurship is key to the U.S. Government (USG). This priority is reflected in the high-level visits that allow for intentional points of connection between USG officials and female leaders and staff in the region. Further, increasing women’s participation is a […]

When surrounded by vast swaths of desert land, water becomes a priceless commodity. This is the story of West Africans living in the Sahel, the arid belt that separates the region’s more tropical climate from the Sahara Desert. Water scarcity in the Sahel is not a new phenomenon, but extreme weather events such as droughts […]

Five Co-investment Partners successfully Closed-out their Trade Hub funded Partnerships The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) is one of the largest blended finance mechanisms in the world, working with the private sector to bolster economic growth in the region. The 5-year $116 million trade and investment facilitation Activity has, to date, […]

L’un des principaux objectifs du West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) de l’USAID est de promouvoir l’égalité des sexes et l’inclusion sociale. Les initiatives pour l’autonomisation économique des femmes et l’égalité des genres sont des activités majeures comme en témoignent les subventions accordées aux entreprises dirigées par des femmes. En fin décembre 2022, […]

Showcasing the Trade Hub co-investment partners leveraging technology to advance food security Women make essential contributions to the agricultural and rural economies in all developing countries. Their roles, which vary considerably between and within regions, are changing rapidly in many parts of the world where economic and social forces are transforming the agricultural sector. Notably, […]

Global Mamas is a social enterprise that was established to economically empower Ghanaian women by tapping into the expertise of artisans in dress and beadmaking, building a network of producers, and linking them to a larger [export] market. The company has been in operation for nearly 20 years and from its inception has worked within […]

Aminata Mbaye, Deputy Chief of Party of the Trade Hub, Shares Her Thoughts and Experiences By Akua Mensah, Communication Specialist Aminata Mbaye is currently the Deputy Chief of Party (Grants and Administration) for the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub activity. With over 20 years of experience in international development, particularly for USAID-funded projects, Aminata […]

In the town of Boko, about twenty minutes from Parakou, the largest mango-producing community in Benin, Mafia Gnaki, a 60-year-old mango farmer, cares for 16 traditional mango trees in the compound of his home and cultivates an additional 11 hectares of an improved grafted mango variety (Kent). Many of his neighbors do the same because […]

According to the Africa Development Bank (AFDB), women make up almost 50 percent of the agricultural labor force in sub-Saharan Africa. These women work primarily in smallholder production; however, they receive a significantly lower share of income in comparison to men in the same sub-sector. Factors ranging from age, ethnicity, religion, and disability are barriers […]

Floods. Erratic Rainfall. A global pandemic. A war in Europe. West Africa has faced increasing food insecurity for the last decade, and the devastating health, climate, and political events of the 2020s have only exacerbated this condition. Nearly 24 million people in West Africa needed food assistance in 2021, and the number of people expected […]

Smallholder farmers often struggle to access high-quality inputs, financing to support their planting seasons, post-harvest storage, and transportation to markets. Middle-class farmers working on medium-sized farms face similar challenges. Investment in agriculture is deemed risky and consequently unattractive to financial institutions, and so even with larger farms, producers struggle to access credit facilities that would […]

The Trade Hub partners with Injaro Investments Ltd to Promote Economic Diversification in Cabo Verde By Akua Mensah With its dazzling beaches and mountain ranges, Cabo Verde is a tourist haven in West Africa, and the industry has been a major contributor to the country’s GDP, employment, and foreign investment. With the shocks of the […]

By Salimata Dia On January 19, 2023, the Trade Hub participated in the inauguration of Koudijs’ new animal feed mill in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The production unit located in the new industrial zone of PK24 Attinguié, municipality of Anyama, Abidjan, will help reduce the imports of animal feed and lower input costs for livestock producers.  […]

Technical assistance (TA) provided by the USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) is integral to the recent success of getting toys created by Naïmadolls from Côte d’Ivoire into American homes this holiday season. This woman-led company successfully gaining access to the U.S. market—becoming the first company from Côte d’Ivoire to be listed […]

Savannah Fruits Company Brings Sustainability and Transparency to the Shea Supply Chain Headquartered in Tamale, in the Northern Region of Ghana, Savannah Fruits Company is an artisanal shea butter and plant-based oils and soap company. The company was established in 2006 on the foundational belief that businesses can operate successfully, and profitably, with minimal environmental […]

By Aor Ikyaabo, Communication Specialist Smallholder farmers in Africa experience high post-harvest food losses as a result of poor handling, poor packaging, and the lack of suitable storage facilities for their produce before it reaches the market. Low market prices and high labor costs often make it uneconomical for farmers to harvest all they produced, […]

By Fatima Datt, Communications Specialist Growing up as the youngest of five children, Salamba Diene saw early on the costs and sacrifices of running a family business; a business she felt she would take over one day. Salamba’s family was entrepreneurial, especially her mother, Adama Diop. She tried her hand in businesses ranging from waste […]

By Akua Mensah, Communication Specialist In many rural areas in northern Ghana, two key issues intersect.   Nearly 35 percent 1 of land in Ghana is under threat of desertification, with much of this land located in the northern part of the country. In these areas, households depend heavily on agriculture for their livelihoods. Thus, land […]

Ethical Apparel Africa’s success in eco-conscious, values-driven manufacturing and exporting By Akua Mensah, Communication Specialist The apparel industry is the second largest polluter in the world behind the oil industry. This startling statistic is due mainly to the meteoric rise of “fast fashion”—mass produced clothing that samples trendy designer pieces and makes them directly available […]

By Aor Ikyaabo, Communication Specialist Across the globe, agricultural production is struggling to keep up with increasing food demand. Crop yields continue to dwindle as a result of agriculture’s extreme vulnerability to climate change. These effects are felt on farmlands as extreme weather conditions hamper yield. In Senegal, La Banque Agricole (LBA), an agricultural-lending bank, […]

Coliba AFRICA aim to revolutionize recycling in Côte d’Ivoire and beyond  By Fatima Datt, Communication Specialist Plastic pollution is a growing problem worldwide. In the nation of Côte d’Ivoire, which recycles roughly 3 percent of its used plastic, the impact of this problem is apparent. With a population of over five million, Abidjan alone produces […]

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) awarded co-investment grants to protect forests and wildlife in Liberia through the establishment of two ecolodges—the Nimba Ecolodge & Reserve in the East Nimba Nature Reserve and Libassa Ecolodge in Warkolor Forest. Both areas are vulnerable to illegal logging, farming, mining, and hunting because of […]

Lena Tall Faye contribue par l’assainissement à assurer la sécurité et la santé des communautés au Sénégal tout en développant son entreprise Delta S.A dans le cadre d’un partenariat avec le West Africa Trade & Investment Hub de l’USAID. Fatima Datt, Communication Specialist Étant l’aînée d’une famille de huit enfants, Lena Tall Faye ressent très […]

Lena Tall Faye is helping to ensure safe & healthy communities in Senegal while growing her business through a partnership with USAID’s West Africa Trade & Investment Hub. By Fatima Datt, Communication Specialist Being the eldest in a family of eight children, Lena Tall Faye felt a duty to help her mother at a young […]

Trade Hub’s Technical Assistance Reaches Beyond Co-Investment Partners to Support Duty-free Export through AGOA Efforts By Tia Swain, Communication Specialist Business success requires navigating unfamiliar territory while facing constant challenges. In West Africa, the aim of establishing, maintaining, and scaling a business to the level to which international export is not only possible, but sustainable […]

USAID co-investment grant to Coliba SARL will help reduce plastic pollution, create jobs in Abidjan ABIDJAN, CÔTE d ’IVOIRE  – Reducing plastic pollution, recycling plastic waste for industrial use, and creating hundreds of jobs in Côte d’Ivoire are the goals of a USAID-funded grant from the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) to […]

Ambassador Virginia E. Palmer, U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Marks First Official Trip to Tamale with Tree Planting Ceremony with Nuts for Growth By: Akua Nana Mensah, Communication Specialist The global demand for shea has continued to rise over the last few decades, pushed by an increased demand for cocoa butter alternatives (used for natural cosmetics […]

Twenty-one-year-old Waïba Agoro learned the basics of hive management and collecting honey and beeswax through her family’s beekeeping business. In her small farming community, Affem-Boussou, located in Togo’s Central Region, the income she generates from selling honey and beeswax provides a steady stream of income, especially in the dry season when money can be hard […]

Entreprise Aïssatou Gaye supports a woman’s paddy rice season in Ross Bethio  By Fatima Datt, Communication Specialist Rice is a strategic product for food security and nutrition in Senegal, occupying a prominent place for the population. In recent years the rice sector has undergone a clear consolidation, with a considerable increase in production volumes. Posing […]

L’Entreprise Aïssatou Gaye soutient la campagne de riz paddy d’une femme à Ross Bethio Par Fatima Datt, Communication Specialist Le riz est un produit stratégique pour la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition au Sénégal, occupant une place de choix pour la population. Ces dernières années, le secteur du riz a connu une nette consolidation, avec […]

USAID’s West Africa Trade and Investment Hub partners with high-performing private-sector companies to improve food insecurity in West Africa By Robin Wheeler Abuja, Nigeria – Many people around the world might find it difficult to pinpoint the specific ways the conflict thousands of miles away between Ukraine and Russia is impacting the global economy. The […]

By Habiba Suleiman, Project manager-WACOT Rice Impact investment aims at combining competitive financial returns with positive change for people and the environment. This underlies WACOT Rice’s growing interest in creating market opportunities for investments that support environmental and social goals. It is upon this foundation that WACOT Rice’s Trade Hub-supported rice out-grower program was established […]

“In traditional investment, risk and return go hand-in-hand, but what I like …specifically about blended finance, is that there is a third element, which is impact.”   Hann Verheijen, Managing Director, Cordaid Investment Management  Financing for social impact projects or projects geared toward achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is typically provided through a […]

By Blessing Lass, Senior Communication Specialist The week of May 16th was an exciting one for the Trade Hub team, as many colleagues met face-to-face for the first time since the project’s inception. In 2019, the USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub kicked-off with about 20 staff members across the region, particularly in four […]

A Gender-Lens Investor, ShEquity Aims to Close the Gender Funding Gap in Africaby Providing Smart Investment to African Female-owned and Led Businesses  Abuja, Nigeria, May 26, 2022 – With a $1.2 million co-investment grant from the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub), ShEquity Partners (ShEquity), an investment firm that promotes women’s entrepreneurship […]

By David Lederer, Project Manager, Red River Foods Yao Wilfried Kouadio, 26, lives in a small community in the Sakassou region of Côte d’Ivoire called Konankro, located in the country’s dense, lush, central region where cashew trees dot the landscape. While sun-loving cashew trees grow quickly here, without appropriate spacing they fail to produce their […]

By Malik Abdoul, Marketing and Sales Manager, Global Mamas For over a decade, Ghana’s Volta River has been attacked by the water hyacinth, a type of invasive weed. Dubbed the “poison flower,” this fast-growing plant negatively impacts the ecology within the river and the economic potential of those who depend it for both food and […]

By Nana Akua Mensah, Communication Specialist On May 5, 2022, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) held the event “Empowering Women in Ghana’s Apparel Sector: Challenges and Success Strategies.” The event highlighted the work of three co-investment partners in the Ghanaian apparel sector—DTRT Apparel, Ethical […]

By Nana Akua Mensah, Communication Specialist The Nigerian agricultural sector is the country’s largest employer, with *smallholder farmers constituting the majority of the agricultural workforce. Despite the fact that women smallholder farmers make up nearly half of that number, they continue to face a growing financial inclusion gap. The gender gap is having a detrimental […]

By Frantz Tavares, Public-Private Partnerships Consultant USAID and Trade Hub representatives were able to see firsthand the progress co-investment partners in the island nation of Cabo Verde have made during field visits held March 14–21, 2022. The companies visited were Inpharma Laboratorios, Agrosoluções, SUCLA, Fresk D’Gustinh, and Injaro/Procapital. Collectively, these partnerships are expected to spur […]

By Nana Akua Mensah, Communications Specialist When most people think of beekeeping, they don’t associate the trade with helping to prevent the devastating spread of deforestation. But in global biodiversity hotspots like the Tai-Greba-Krahn-Sapo Forest Landscape between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, beekeeping has proven to be not just an income-generator for farmers, but also an […]

USAID / Prosper Africa co-investment grant to Yolélé and Mali Shi SA will improve smallholder value chains and create 13,700 jobs in Mali Bamako, Mali —The ancient grain fonio has been grown as a subsistence crop in West Africa for over 5,000 years. A new venture in Mali called Sustainable African Foods (SAF) is turning […]

By Nana Akua Mensah, Communications Specialist “Our duty is to find the human element that moves audiences to connect and inspires them to action,” asserted Bettina Boateng, Senior Supervisory Regional Development Outreach and Communications Specialist for USAID West Africa. Boateng expressed this as the primary principle guiding all communications work in her address to the […]

Accra, Ghana – U.S. Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan today announced new co-investments by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) totaling $4.2 million with five companies operating in Ghana.  These projects, leveraged with private sector funds, will help these companies scale up operations, develop export opportunities, and create jobs.  Ambassador Sullivan made the announcement during the […]

“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.”—Secretary-General Kofi Annan As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, March 8, 2022, the staff of the USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) would like to use the occasion to salute women across the world, who, as this day’s theme […]

West Africa Water is a pioneer in the production of safe drinking water in Senegal, made possible by its decentralized and low-cost desalination system to treat brackish water. With a $505,000 (287 million CFA) Trade Hub co-investment grant, the company is building upon its goal of expanding and growing its network of water kiosks in […]

By Blessing Lass, Senior Communications Specialist  Over the past 4 months, the Trade Hub awarded approximately $21 million in co-investment grants to 28 companies, bringing our total number of co-investment partners to 71. The grants, ranging from $250,000 to $2 million, were made possible through USAID missions throughout the region, as well as through dedicated […]

By Andy Harvell, Owner of Harvell Vendor Services Finding the right U.S. retailers for your food-based products is critical to ensure the products you have worked so hard to develop, perfect, and package are accessible and marketed effectively to your intended customers. But first you must understand the levels and types of retailers, as well […]

By Akinyi Ochieng, Lead, Marketing and Communications, Partnership for Natural Ingredients Over the last two decades, the global trade in raw cashew nuts has more than doubled to 2.1 billion kilograms. While African countries have driven this boom, cashew farmers like Kate Gyabaah have rarely seen an increase in their incomes despite the growing international […]

Written by: Aja Beckham The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity among the Nigerian population, particularly those in rural farming communities, who are among the most vulnerable and adversely affected by this ongoing health and economic crisis. Kola Masha, Managing Director of Babban Gona, a Nigerian-based agri-tech social enterprise, says that since the Trade Hub awarded […]

Webinar to Highlight How Supporting West African Farmers’ Beekeeping Initiativesis a Win for Farmers, Agribusinesses, and the Environment WHAT: Webinar: From Farm to Beehive: Why Introducing Farmers to Beekeeping is a Win for Farmers, Agribusinesses & the Environment.” WHEN: Feb. 24, 2022, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. WAT (1 p.m.–3:30 p.m. GMT; 8 a.m.-10:30 […]

The West Africa Trade & Investment Hub started the new year under the leadership of a new Chief of Party, Robin Wheeler. Based in the Trade Hub’s headquarters of Abuja, Wheeler will guide the project in its mission to empower and work with the private sector to meet some of the region’s most pressing sustainable […]

$1.5 million awarded for projects that will improve the health of Senegalese DAKAR, SENEGAL – Improving sanitation and increasing access to clean drinking water in Senegal are the goals of two companies recently awarded a collective $1.5 million (842 million FCFA) in co-investment grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s regional initiative, the […]

Abuja, Nigeria—Limited access to capital remains a high barrier to growth for many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in West Africa, a challenge compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.  In its continued efforts to support high-potential SMEs in the region during this crisis and the companies that finance them, the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & […]

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) has launched a $10.2 million co-investment partnership with Tolaro Global, a leading cashew-processing company in Benin, to strengthen the country’s certified organic cashew nut market and help meet the growing demand for cashew products among U.S. and European consumers. In support of this goal, Tolaro […]

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub), has launched a $24 million (13 billion CFA) co-investment partnership with the Senegalese financial leasing institution Locafrique to build on its momentum of prioritizing the agricultural sector in Senegal, as well as increasing access to credit for businesses […]

For smallholder farmers in Ghana producing shea butter, bees are normally pests to swat away. But these insects will soon prove invaluable to farmers thanks to a $2 million, 3-year partnership between the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) mission in Ghana, the USAID/ West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub), and Burt’s Bees®, an American […]

DAKAR, SENEGAL – To address the urgent need to improve the health of women and children in Senegal, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub), is offering co-investment grants up to $500,000 for private firms and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that offer creative and innovative healthcare solutions. To […]

The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) West Africa Trade & Investment Hub has awarded a $518,000 co-investment grant to La Laiterie du Berger, a company that manufactures dairy products from locally produced milk in Senegal. The grant will allow the company to source milk from 1,150 new herders and further its efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on […]

Through a $1.1 million co-investment grant from the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub), Senegal-based agribusiness firm Agro Boye will increase its production capacity of horticultural products, helping to reduce food insecurity and import-dependency in the country. The company’s three-year partnership with the Trade Hub builds on a successful pilot project that the agribusiness […]

Abuja, Nigeria—The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) has awarded a 494 million naira ($1.2 million) co-investment grant to Tomato Jos Farming and Processing Limited (Tomato Jos) to boost the productivity, incomes, and resilience of maize and soybean smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna State. Kaduna State is home to approximately 1.3 […]

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub awarded co-investment grants totaling $1.43 (780 million in francs CFA) across three promising Senegalese companies—the online fresh-grocery delivery Club Tiossane and two women-led food companies, Biosene and Enterprise Aissatou Gaye (EAG). The investments will help these businesses meet market demands, create employment and mitigate the economic impact […]

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub, has awarded a $1.2 million co-investment grant to Warc Group, a social enterprise with  agricultural production and consulting operations in Ghana and Sierra Leone, to help smallholder farmers in Ghana’s Upper West Region. The company’s subsidiary, Warc Ghana, will […]

By Chaz Kyser There is rising global demand for cashews and cashew-based products, including in the United States where at least 90,000 metric tons of this nutritious nut is imported every year. West African-based cashew processors have long recognized the potential to export this commodity to the United States, but have faced hurdles surrounding developing […]

Through the West Africa Agriculture Resilience Program,10,000 smallholders will increase crop yields and their incomes The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub has awarded a $500,000 co-investment grant to PYXERA Global, a not-for-profit with extensive experience designing training and capacity-building programs, to support the launch of its West Africa Agriculture Resilience Program (WAFARP). This program will assist […]

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) has awarded a $1.4 million co-investment grant to OCP Africa Fertilizers Nigeria Limited (OCP Africa), a leader in the production of phosphate-based fertilizers, to install modern blending equipment within its fertilizer blending plant facility under construction in Kaduna State. The top-in-class blending equipment will help bridge the gap where there […]

Red River Foods/Trade Hub partnership to create long-term,sustainable incomes throughout the cashew value chain West Africa is poised to be the next largest exporter of cashew kernels to the U.S. market through a $3 million co-investment partnership between the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) and Red River Foods (RRF), a leading global supplier of plant-based […]

Abuja, NIGERIA—Building on its work to boost food security in Nigeria through technology-driven agricultural services, Thrive Agric has launched an ambitious 1-year project to support 50,000 smallholder farmers growing rice, maize, and soybean. As part of its commitment to strengthening agricultural value chains in the country, including for these three staple crops, the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & […]

West African women seeking to do business beyond their borders gained special insight during a May 28th webinar hosted by the Trade Hub titled “Exporting to the U.S. Duty-Free & Partnering with the Trade Hub: Keys to Success for Women-Led Businesses.” More than 200 women joined the 2-hour session, including members of the Borderless Trade Network […]

Argungu – At a May 19 ceremony in Argungu, Nigeria, U.S. Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard joined Kebbi State Executive Governor H.E. Sen. Abubakar Bagudu and private and public-sector stakeholders committed to ensuring food security in Nigeria to launch a co-investment partnership between the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) and WACOT Rice. The […]

Abuja, NIGERIA—Through a $1.7 million co-investment from the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Development Hub, Adefunke Desh Nigeria (ADN), an agribusiness specializing in the cultivation and processing of grains, will embark on its expansionary drive to significantly scale its operations. This project will be instrumental in improving ADN’s competitiveness, in turn boosting the incomes of its partner smallholder […]

The partnership focuses on investing to improve productivity, trade, and stabilization of employment in Nigeria’s aquaculture value chain Nigeria is one of the largest farmed fish producers in Sub-Saharan Africa, with catfish being the most farmed species, including in the Niger Delta region. There, prior to the pandemic, artisanal small-scale fishers had been successful in […]

Bobo-Dioulasso, BURKINA FASO—The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) is awarding $1 million to seed company Neema Agricole du Faso (NAFASO), based in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. The grant and private sector partnership with NAFASO that it facilitates will boost rice production in Burkina Faso, an effort key to improving food security in the country. The […]

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) has awarded a $1.1 million co-investment grant to 8 Degrees North, a Ghanaian palm oil processing company, to support smallholder farmers in West Africa to access the growing market for organic palm oil in the United States. The co-investment project will considerably boost profits for smallholders and […]

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) has awarded a $499,000 grant to Nigerian-based REMIF REMS Nigeria Ltd,  a major agro-based service provider in Nigeria. The aim of the co-investment partnership is to improve food security and health safety measures for farmers in the southern region of Nigeria. In Nigeria, rice is a major staple […]

Abuja, Nigeria—The West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) has unveiled a Virtual DealRoom giving global investors information and access to the Trade Hub’s growing pipeline of impact business opportunities. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Trade Hub aims to catalyze economic growth in West Africa utilizing a market-based approach. Through its co-investment fund, […]

West Africa’s agribusiness sector will soon benefit from millions of dollars in private investment through a co-investment partnership between the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub and CrossBoundary, an investment and economic development advisory services firm specializing in underserved markers. As part of the agreement, CrossBoundary will leverage Trade Hub’s $1.5 million grant to channel at least […]

Even prior to the pandemic, West Africa was viewed by potential investors as a region ripe with opportunities but associated with too much risk to bank on because of countries’ often fragile economies. In a March 16th webinar, public-private sector stakeholders and those involved in trade and development in Africa learned how Stichting Cordaid, through […]

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub has announced a co-investment partnership with Togo shea company Agbanga Karite Alaffia SARL to secure $299,000 worth of shea kernels and other raw materials for the company’s 2021 production of shea butter products sold in the United States and other markets. With the co-investment made possible by Prosper Africa, the upfront purchase […]

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub has signed a co-investment partnership with Global Mamas to support the company’s drive for sustainable growth post-pandemic and promote the goals of the U.S. Government’s Prosper Africa initiative to increase two-way trade and investment. A natural partner for the Trade Hub, Global Mamas is a Ghana-based social enterprise that works with women across […]

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub), utilizing Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) funds, will establish a model factory with Ethical Apparel Africa and Maagrace Garment Industries in Ghana’s Eastern region.  This partnership will accelerate women’s economic empowerment in the apparel manufacturing industry by setting high […]

In partnership with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub has announced its first co-investment project with Stichting Cordaid (Cordaid), managed by Cordaid Investment Management B.V. (CIM), to increase the access to finance by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Sierra Leone.  Due […]

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub has announced a co-investment partnership with Koster Keunen, a leading natural waxes company, that will support West African smallholder farmers by organizing and improving beeswax supply chains from the region. The partnership, which promotes the goals of the U.S. Government’s Prosper Africa initiative to increase two-way trade […]

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub has announced its first co-investment partnership with WACOT Rice Limited, a Nigerian rice company based in Kebbi State. The Trade Hub’s grant of $1.48 million will directly support its Argungu Rice Outgrower Expansion Project, allowing WACOT to onboard an additional 5,143 rice farmers into its program designed […]

Across Western Africa, women entrepreneurs often are confronted with challenges to expand their successful small businesses. Despite evidence of strong growth potential, women-owned businesses continue to encounter difficulties accessing finance and support services. They also lack information to expand their businesses beyond traditional markets. As palm oil producer and business owner Tahara Haidara Diallo recalls, […]

On August 12th, the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub announced a rapid response plan to deploy $36 million supplementary funding provided by USAID to mitigate the pandemic’s socio-economic impact in West Africa. This recovery plan includes new Co-Investment funding that targets the private sector and is designed to address critical economic areas through three […]

The COVID-19 pandemic will change business as usual with regards to trade between the United States and Africa and overall economic development activities on that continent, said the Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. government’s Prosper Africa initiative. “We’ll need a new level of creativity, connection, and commitment in the coming year amidst this pandemic,” […]

Creative’s Senior Advisor for Gender and Social Inclusion, Rebecca Sewall, sat down (virtually!) with Chioma Ukwuagu, the Gender Advisor for the USAID-funded West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, to talk about how the project’s goals of providing female entrepreneurs greater access to capital and jobs, breaking down cultural barriers in the business world and the […]

Good day to all, Like others across the world, you are undoubtedly being confronted with the realities we all face from the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic. Governments, businesses, and households are taking precautionary measures to limit this outbreak and protect civilians, colleagues, and our loved ones from infection. The Trade Hub has already implemented these measures […]

ABUJA, Nigeria—More than 250 Nigerian government officials, business executives, and other stakeholders officially launched the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, which seeks to bolster trade, employment, and innovation in key sectors. The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Beth Leonard kicked off the Jan. 28 launch by highlighting the Trade Hub’s commitment to forging partnerships with West Africa’s […]

ABUJA, Nigeria –The recently launched West Africa Trade and Investment Hub aims to create 40,000 new jobs, bolster trade between the U.S. and West Africa, and foster innovation through co-investments in key sectors. Though a number of obstacles have hindered sustainable economic development, the Trade Hub’s mission is to empower the private sector to meet those […]