Non-traditional exports hits $3.9bn
The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has recorded 11.75 per cent growth in Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) for last year.
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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GEPA, Osafohene Dr Afua Asabea Asare, who disclosed this at the Minister’s Press Briefing in Accra, said the NTEs earned the country $3.94 billion during this period, a rise from the $3.53 billion posted in 2022.
The GEPA CEO explained that the growth was led by products such as iron and steel circles, rods and billets, which topped the earnings list with $447.8 million.
Other high-performing products included cocoa paste ($340.6 million), cashew nuts ($263.5 million) and cocoa butter ($241.3 million).
“Agribusiness, manufactured goods, arts and crafts and services remain the major contributors to the NTEs, with agribusiness accounting for 12.56 per cent of the total NTEs,” she said.
Dr Asare indicated that the key development driving the growth was Ghana’s strategic alignment with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which accounted for $1.78 billion in NTE earnings last year.
“AfCFTA presents a huge opportunity for Ghana’s export industry and we are working tirelessly to position local businesses to benefit from this single continental market”, the CEO stated.
Women exporters
In addition to these successes, the GEPA is also making strides in supporting women in the export sector.
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Its flagship project, the SheTrades Ghana Hub, aims to empower women-led businesses.
“Our goal is to elevate women entrepreneurs by providing them with access to international markets,” Dr Asare added.
In the agricultural sector, Dr Asare said the GEPA is actively working to expand Ghana's export supply base.
She highlighted that the Coconut Revitalisation Programme has already seen the distribution of one million disease-tolerant coconut seedlings across 15,625 acres.
She said an additional 500,000 seedlings were expected to be distributed in 2025, with the programme anticipated to create 350,000 jobs along the coconut value chain.
“This is a crucial step in increasing the output of coconut and providing employment opportunities for many Ghanaians,” she noted.
Interventions
Dr Asare stated that the sector's continued expansion was driven by strategic interventions aimed at capacity building and market development.
“The GEPA has implemented programmes to support product development, market intelligence and research to ensure exporters have the tools and knowledge to succeed on the global stage,” she noted.
She added that the GEPA's strategic interventions include the "Youth in Export" programme, which is designed to attract young people to the export business.
Dr Asare explained that the programme provided participants with hands-on training, mentorship and capacity building, focusing on practical learning to ensure they are well-prepared to become successful exporters.
She further explained that the first and second cohorts of the programme had created over 500 employment opportunities and the GEPA planned to expand the initiative with a third cohort expected to generate over 4,000 direct jobs.