By Rachel Kakraba
More than one thousand cross-border women traders, youth led businesses, and people living with disability have benefited from a capacity building and business development support programme to effectively engage in cross border trade. It has also developed core competencies of beneficiary traders in taking advantage of market access opportunities, particularly along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor in Ghana.
The initiative is funded by Agence Française de Développement, under the West Africa Trade Facilitation Programme, which is a two year project spanning May 2024 to December 2026.
It is facilitated by TradeMark Africa, an organization committed to promoting intra-African trade, in partnership with Africa Trade Academy, and the Gender Sub Committee of the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, with a goal of promoting stronger, inclusive and sustainable regional economic integration across West Africa.
Speaking at the closing session of the regional outreach programmes in Accra, the National Programmes Coordinator of Trade Mark Africa, Wilfred Essuman, expressed hope that the training would enhance compliance of beneficiary traders, who often face regulatory challenges along the borders.
“We have built the capacity of cross-border women traders, youth led businesses, and people with disabilities involved in businesses to take advantage of market access opportunities, particularly along the Abidjan Lagos corridor. Over the past months we’ve had training sessions at major marketing centers”
Adding on “The engagement has brought together women who are directly at the front of trade. You meet them at the various borders and they bring to you real cases and challenges they face on a day-to-day basis”
Mr. Essuman, noted that the project has among other achievements, harmonized trade procedures and expanded economic opportunities for vulnerable groups, thereby enhancing livelihoods.
He affirmed commitment of TMA to supporting trade along the Abidjan Lagos corridor.
The Chief Executive of Africa Trade Academy, Dode Seidu, said the Abidjan Lagos corridor holds more than 75 percent of regional trade in West Africa. This he said makes the capacity building programme crucial to boosting the confidence and participation of women traders operating along the corridor.
“We’re talking about those women who cross the border daily, weekly to move the things that many people in the cities need. When these women are crossing the borders, often they face challenges, therefore it is necessary that we don’t leave them out.
He said the training has equipped the beneficiary traders with the knowledge needed to effectively navigate the complexities of cross-border trade.
“One thing about trade is that it’s quite complicated. Sometimes it involves a lot of legal jargon, and you are meeting with authorities, some of the women knowingly or unknowingly make mistakes in terms of maybe not having the right documentation and therefore facing the brunt of the law. So by this training, they are gaining confidence and they’re able to engage appropriately with the officials involved”
Mr. Seidu, said the intervention would help businesses formalize their operations, paving the way for growth and expansion.
“By some of these interventions we expect to see a lot of business growth because if you have a formalized business, you are able to keep records and can open a bank account. Then through that, your KYC can be done and consequently be in a position to assess some micro loans, then grow your business and hopefully expand into the region in terms of trade”
He expressed hope for continued partnership to extend support to other areas that would benefit the target groups.
Madam Agnes Gifty Adjei Sam, who facilitated one of the training sessions, said the programme has equipped participants for the export market and appealed for greater support to sustain that effort.
“Many of the participants desire to take their products to the international marketplace, but they are unaware of the rules that they need to know and follow to be competitive in the export market. So my session probed and helped them to understand the importance of getting ready for the export market”
She appealed to government, development partners, and relevant trade promotion agencies to collaborate more closely in supporting women and small businesses. She said such coordinated efforts are crucial to ensuring that these enterprises fully benefit from opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Some beneficiaries who spoke to GBC News described the training as a transformative experience that broadened their understanding of cross-border trade.
Mubarika “It is been an eye-opener and so far I’ve learned a great deal, I’m honoured to be at this programme”
Benedicta “This has been very beneficial, it has given us enough knowledge so that we’ll be able to implement it when we go to our market space. I would like to thank the organizers and wish that this will not be a nine-day wonder but they should do a follow up on us”
The initiative is expected to empower beneficiaries to operate more competitively and sustainably within regional markets, fostering inclusive economic growth.
