A six-day SNV Green Regional Trade Show has opened in Takoradi for 48-Small and Medium Enterprises from the Western Region.
The trade show is to give the SMEs who are beneficiaries of SNV’s 6-month GrEEn Incubation and GrEEn Acceleration Programmes the platform to exhibit their environmentally friendly and recycled products.
Speaking at the official opening of the event which took place at the Takoradi Shopping Mall, the Business Development Officer of SNV Green Ghana, Hilda Abambire, said the exhibition which cuts across agro-processing, renewables, water, sanitation, and hygiene was organized to promote green products in the country.
“We don’t see much of made-in-Ghana green products on our markets or at most exhibitions. The few we see are sometimes even imported products. So the rationale for this is to showcase green products and to showcase made-in-Ghana products, and to let people appreciate that whatever we see as waste can be converted into something valuable,” she said.
Hilda Abambire, while highlighting some of the products being exhibited, encouraged the patronage of same.
“We have people that are turning agro-waste into eco-friendly packaging materials, turning agro waste into what can be used as charcoal instead of firewood that people will go and cut to burn into charcoal. We have SMEs that are doing organic farming, so we have organic pork and so many things organic. Then we have other SMEs that are doing organic skin care products, things that can protect us.”
“The exhibition has brought all these businesses together for us to see the kind of things that we can do when it comes to green and to also showcase them and let us appreciate that there is nothing waste, everything can be converted. So we are entreating that you get something in other to promote our own made in Ghana, promote our local industry and as well create job opportunities for wherever these SMEs are located,” she added.
The GrEEn Regional Trade Show is part of the Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Project being implemented by SNV Ghana and the United Nations Capital Development Fund, with funding from the European Union and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana.
The Programmes Officer in charge of Macro Economics and Trades Section of the European Union Delegation to Ghana, Marta Brignone, said the EU will continue to support the SNV Green programme as it inspires the 7-year EU cooperation programme with Ghana aimed at skill development and job creation.
“I’m very excited to start a conversation with many of the entrepreneurs that are here to inspire the work we are doing to continue our partnership with Ghan around Green mainly to promote green job opportunities and contribute to reducing the unemployment rate that is still very high, especially for youth in Ghana“, she said.
One of the exhibitors, Freda Obiri, CEO of Prestige Organic, producers of Happy Tummy Fruits product told Citi News how environmentally friendly the products are and how supportive SNVhas been.
“We deal in baby foods and food for adults. The elderly are even more concerned about their health. They prefer to eat organic food, and food rich in fiber. Knowing this, my group tries to make our food as healthy as can be.”
Another exhibitor, Nana Yaa of Natures Bliss sanitary products also spoke to Citi News about her product.
The Western Regional Officer of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Isaac Yankson who graced the opening of the exhibition commended the SNV Green project and also encouraged exhibitors to take advantage of the Africa Free Trade platform to make their products go beyond Ghana.
SNV Ghana has partnered with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, and Ministry of Trade and Industry on the Regional Road Trade Show.