By: Joyce Kantam Kolamong
Stakeholders at a three-day National Market Actors’ Forum in Tamale, the Northern Regional Capital, have emphasized the need for inclusivity and partnerships to drive the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The event, themed “Partnership for Prosperity: Strengthening Market Linkages for All,” brought together senior stakeholders from government, private sector, financial institutions, farmer organisations, and development partners.
The forum, under the “EVERYONE THRIVE” Project facilitated by World Vision Ghana is an economic empowerment initiative designed to strengthen resilient livelihoods, inclusive market systems, and sustainable household incomes with particular focus on smallholder producers, women, youth, and vulnerable populations across Ghana.
Participants are expected to promote strategic partnerships, share innovations, and advance inclusive and equitable market development.
The 3-day event will feature high-level policy dialogue and the presentation of practical recommendations to strengthen market systems for all actors.
Stakeholders believe this is a significant moment in Ghana’s journey towards inclusive economic transformation and agricultural development, by amplifying the voices of market actors, smallholder farmers, and the communities the initiative serve.
Strategy and Integrated Programs Director at World Vision Ghana, Joshua Baidoo, representing the National Director, stressed the need for collaboration to improve the lives of smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities.
“The National Market Actors Forum is a call to partnership. I urge the private sector and financial institutions to build models that see rural smallholders as investors and producers. Inclusive sourcing today builds resilient supply chains tomorrow.”
CEO of the Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCE), Evelyn Abakah, was the guest speaker. She highlighted GCE’s efforts to deepen market linkages, including providing warehousing and storage facilities, developing smallholder farmers’ capacity, and granting access to a wider market through its electronic trading platform.
“GCE has made modest achievements under the collaboration and is well on course to meet the rest of the objective by the end of the stipulated project period,” she said.
Miss Abakah reported that a total of 99 groups have been engaged across six districts in the Builsa South area in Upper East, West Gonja in Savannah, Wa East in Upper West, and Kintampo South in Bono Regions, with GCE’s Warehouse trading about 50 metric tons of commodities, benefiting 11 groups in the Builsa South in the Upper East region.
Director of Agribusiness at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Kwame Oppong Ntim, who represented the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, emphasized the government’s commitment to inclusive economic transformation and agricultural development.
“Forums such as this serve as a platform for dialogue to bridge the gap between policy formulation and market realities in Tamale, Bolga, and beyond. We must engage in honest conversations about the barriers we face, whether it is access to funds, high cost of inputs, or possible losses.”
Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Enterprises Agency, GEA, Margaret Ansei, shared success stories, including a trip to Ohio, Cincinnati, where she negotiated with international companies to create market access for Ghanaian businesses.
She said the agency will trained over 250,000 youth in dignified and fulfilling jobs from next year on agribusiness and digitalization adding that it established business resource centers and concept shops to support MSMEs. Mz Ansei emphasized the need to strengthen market systems, ensure sustainability, and promote inclusivity.
The event highlighted market access, fair pricing policy, credit facilities, policy consistency, and transportation as key challenges facing MSMEs.
Stakeholders urged the private sector and financial institutions to build models that see rural smallholders as investors and producers, while government actors were urged to create an enabling policy environment for smallholder market access to rural infrastructure, agriculture insurance, and fair pricing protection.
The forum featured exhibitions of products and services, and presented practical recommendations to strengthen market systems for all actors, aiming to promote strategic partnerships, share innovations, and advance inclusive and equitable market development, amplifying the voices of market actors, smallholder farmers, and vulnerable communities.
