The West African Centre for Shea Innovation and Research (UDS) in collaboration with GIZ support program to the AFCFTA, has organized a sensitization seminar on the importance of AfCTFA.

The event, which came off at the Dr Andani Andan Chamber at the Central Administration Block on the UDS, Tamale Campus on February 27, 2023, had in attendance the Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies, Prof. Seidu Al-hassan, the Dean of the School of Economics, Prof Samuel Donkoh and Prof. Alhassan Abukari, the Director of the West African Center for Shea Innovation and Research, UDS.

Others were Prof. George Nyarko the Principal of the Nyankpala Campus, Prof. Osman Ibrahim the Dean of the School of Business School, Dr. Musah Alhassan the Dean of Students, Mr. James Hammond the Technical Advisor of GIZ support program, Mr. Dode Seidu, a consultant to GIZ Support Program and a Trade Facilitation Expert, students from the School of Business, Lecturers, representatives of Civil Society Organisations among others.

The seminar aimed at engaging stakeholders to trigger discussions on the prospects of the Shea industry on the continental market.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies, Prof. Seidu Al-hassan, explained that the Shea industry has the potential of reducing poverty in the Savannah Ecological zone of the country if the activities within the sector are streamlined and regulated. He added that the West Africa Center for Shea Innovation and Research was established at UDS partly, to encourage in-depth research into the shea industry and to make recommendations as to how to maximize the benefits from the sector to the local people.

Prof Seidu Al-hassan said he was excited that the government had established the key national and institutional structures to oversee the implementation of the AfCTA initiative locally. He said for Ghanaian businesses to benefit from the initiative, there was an urgent need to create awareness among regulatory authorities, including the Customs Division of Ghana the Revenue Authority (GRA), economic operators, exporters, logistics companies, as well as the academia.

Mr. James Hammond, the technical advisor of the GIZ support program gave a brief history about how the GIZ support program came about, its aims and objectives, its importance as well as its challenges. The GIZ support program provides tailor made, cost efficient, and effective services for sustainable development. 

He said the seminar was to facilitate learning and sharing of ideas and experiences to equip the business community, especially those within the Shea value-chain, with the requisite knowledge and insight to fully benefit from AfCFTA. He stated that the private sector’s interest and support to the AfCFTA has been phenomenal based on the premise that production and distribution of goods and services were largely undertaken by the private sector.

Mr. James Hammond said that the GIZ program was excited about the journey of opening up new market access opportunities to drive the needed economic growth and the transformation of the African continent. The business community stands to benefit from the removal of tariffs on goods and services as well as the elimination of non-tariff barriers which hamper trade between countries, he added.

The consultant of the GIZ support program and a trade facilitation expert, Mr. Dode Seidu commended the collaboration between WACSIR-UDS and the GIZ Program and applauded their effort in organizing “this important seminar for Ghanaian businessmen to understand the protocols of AfCFTA and to take advantage of its opportunities”. He said the AfCTFA hopes to create a market for 1.2 billion people with a combined GDP of $3 trillion. He further explained that the objectives, general objectives, barriers, importance and architecture of the AfCTFA.

The Dean of the school of Economics, Prof Samuel Donkoh was happy that the event had highlighted all the important issues affecting the smooth implementation of the AfCTA. He encouraged academic staff to include issues of AfCTA in their lectures. Prof. Donkoh encouraged the West Africa Center for Shea Innovation and Research to support students who are interested in conducting more research into the shea industry, adding that Ghanaians need to be educated on the importance of AfCTFA.

Prof Alhassan Abukari, Director of WACSIR said almost all rural households in northern Ghana depend heavily on shea for their survival each year. He said the crop is mostly harvested, processed and sold by women and supplies more than half of the annual income of most rural women. He said 16 million women earn their livelihood from Shea through the collection of Shea products in Africa.

Unfortunately, the full potential has of the shea industry has not been realized for the benefit of the people.

Prof Abukari Alhassan expressed the belief that if the relevant organisations come on board to support the efforts of the WACSIR, programs like the AfCTFA will progressively eliminate tariff on intra-African trade, making it easier for African businesses in Shea to trade within the continent and benefit from the growing African market.

The dean of the School of Business, Prof Osman Ibrahim said the seminar had provided a huge learning platform for students from the School of Business and encouraged the WACSIR and GIZ to organize more of such events. He said if students are constantly exposed to such seminars, many of them would be encouraged to go into full-time entrepreneurship after their studies.