ANKA: Connecting African artisans to the global market

May 20, 2022

By Sabra Ayres

4 min read

An African start-up that created an online marketplace for mostly women-led small businesses and artisans to sell worldwide recently raised $6.1 million for expansion, thanks to an initial $1.5 million investment from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) aimed at leveraging outside funding.

ANKA is an online marketplace platform working with 2,000 African micro-, small- and medium enterprises. Sellers use the digital export platform to sell their apparel, jewelry, decorative arts and designer fabrics to customers around the world.

Nearly 80 percent of the sellers on ANKA are women engaged in apparel and accessories making, many of them from small workshops or working in their homes. Historically, selling on Afrikrea, ANKA’s original name, raised businesses’ income by 50 percent year-over-year, according to Charles Polet, a Public-Private Partnership Manager at the Trade Hub.

The $6.1 million in new investment supports a potential job creation of 27,000 based on ANKA’s goal to onboard 3,000 new merchants to its platform within the next three years. More than 50 percent will be women.  

The Trade Hub manages a pipeline of more than $1.2 billion in transactions and has engaged with more than 700 private companies, as well as business associations, development finance institutions and government agencies. It is actively working in 14 countries across 23 value chains.

During its first two and a half years, the project awarded $70 million in grants to 75 public and private sector co-investment partners, including CrossBoundary and Cordaid Investment Management. Collectively, these co-investments are expected to generate $560 million in private investment, create 59,000 sustainable jobs and facilitate more than $456 million in exports in agriculture, manufactured goods, energy and services by the end of the program. The private investment generated is so significant that it represents eight times the value of the Trade Hub funds.

CrossBoundary entered a $1.5 million co-investment partnership with the Trade Hub in February 2021. Under the pay-for-results partnership, CrossBoundary identifies potential investments, such as it did with Afrikrea in 2021. The firm then leverages its USAID-backed $1.5 million investment to encourage outside investors to help finance the potential in other African small and medium enterprises. While the Trade Hub put up the initial $1.5 million, CrossBoundary is committed to raising an additional $14 million in outside investments for at least five small- and medium-sized enterprises.

As of November, CrossBoundary is facilitating $50 million of private capital for 12 small and medium enterprises in agricultural processing, light manufacturing and commerce within eight West African countries, including Cameroon, Liberia, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria and Mali. The investments will promote regional trade, U.S. exports, the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative, women’s entrepreneurship, and market-driven supply chains in post-conflict and near-conflict areas.

ANKA’s focus on women-led businesses caught the attention of CrossBoundary, an investment firm that seeks to raise capital for small- and medium enterprises typically underserved by the financing products available, for example, women-led agriculture or handicraft businesses in West Africa. Such enterprises often face prohibitive transaction costs associated with raising funds for expansion and growth.

Originally conceived as Afrikrea, ANKA’s online market lets small artisans and sellers tap into the global market to increase opportunities and profit, and get paid faster, all on one platform.

“At ANKA, our mission is to ‘Bridge Africa and The World,’” said Janis Kouassi, who has been with ANKA since its start in 2019, in a recent blog post. “As an Ivorian woman, that speaks volume to me. Being a part of something that has never been done before, i.e., export Africans’ know-how rather than sell things to Africans, was extremely attractive to me. Being in alignment with your company’s mission and values is key to one’s personal and professional growth.”

ANKA is a U.S. registered company with key operations in Côte d’Ivoire. It’s original name, Afrikrea, is derived from a French play on words, merging “Africa” with the French would for design, “creation.”

The substantial investments will allow ANKA to expand its reach to bring on 3,000 new, small- and medium-sized enterprises in Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.

“For many of our sellers, ANKA allows them to reach markets that were out of reach just selling on their own,” said Ilan Mouyal, the head of acquisitions at ANKA. “This expansion will mean more artisans, particularly women, can share in that success.”

In addition, supporting ANKA in turn promotes regional trade under Africa Continental Frea Trade Area, or AfCFTA, Polet says, referring to a free-trade area brokered in 2018 to include 54 of the 55 African Union nations. The AfCFTA is the largest free-trade market in the world by member states after the World Trade Organization. The creation of the free-trade region aims to deepen the economic integration of the African continent.

“It’s not easy to fund African start-ups, especially those that help and target microbusinesses,” Polet says. “This is a success story because it builds on promoting U.S. investments and U.S. trade, while at the same time promotes income for micro-ateliers in Africa.”

Mapping inter-ethnic dynamics in Northern Ghana

March 31, 2022

1 min read

Mapping inter-ethnic dynamics in Northern Ghana

USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives is working with community organizations to determine what unites and divides ethnic groups in Northern Ghana. One technique is a “mapping” of opinions, expectations and needs of farmers and herders. Featured in this short video is Rasmata, an enumerator who conducted surveys in many communities. From the Fulbe ethnic group, she had unique access to homes and the candid conversations.

Mediation committees strive to reduce conflict in Northern Ghana

March 21, 2022

1 min read

Mediation committees strive to reduce conflict in Northern Ghana from Creative Associates Int’l on Vimeo.

The Center for Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies is piloting new approaches to resolve farmer-herder tensions and build community cohesion. One method is the introduction of mediation committees. It is supported by West Africa Littorals Regional Initiative, a program by the USAID Office of Transition Initiatives.

Ghana: Mapping Fulbe communities

March 14, 2022

1 min read

Ghana: Mapping Fulbe communities from Creative Associates Int’l on Vimeo.

USAID/OTI’s Littorals Program is promoting inclusion in northern Ghana’s Upper West Region. Implementing partner Save Ghana shared findings and recommendations of an OTI-supported mapping of Fulbe settlements and community relationships with key local government actors.

Trade Hub Partnership Increases Nigerian Farmers’ Harvest in Fight for Food Security

March 9, 2022

By Aja Beckham and Blessing Lass

3 min read

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity among the Nigerian population, particularly those in rural farming communities, who are among the most vulnerable and adversely affected by this ongoing health and economic crisis.

Kola Masha, Managing Director of Babban Gona, a Nigerian-based agri-tech social enterprise, says that since the Trade Hub awarded a $500,000 co-investment grant to the company in May 2021, there are less concerns about food insecurity because farmers now have agricultural packages and training to increase food supply.

“The pandemic significantly impacted the maize and rice supply chains, causing commodity prices to increase. Some rural populations weren’t able to afford food,” says Masha. “But the co-investment supports smallholder farmers with agricultural packages and trainings, and now their yields and net incomes are 2 times and 2.5 times the national average, respectively.”

As a direct result of Babban Gona’s co-investment partnership with the Trade Hub, the company has been able to significantly increase rice and maize production and improve food security in Kaduna, Benue, Cross River, and Niger States—focus areas for USAID’s Feed the Future initiative. During the duration of the project, Babban Gona will leverage approximately $15.4 million of private funds.

The co-investment partnership is expected to generate $33.1 million in sales from the anticipated 90,000 metric tons of harvested grains for this past 2021 season. Of that amount, an estimated $20.1 million will be paid out to the benefiting farmers in profits and bonuses.

Sahura Dauda, a maize farmer based in Kaduna State, says that Babban Gona’s Trade Hub-supported project has allowed her to increase her crop yield. Sahura hopes that one day, with continued help from Babban Gona, she can travel to Mecca, own houses, and continue to pay for her children’s school fees.

Sahura Dauda, a maize farmer based in Kaduna State, has been able to continue to pay for her children’s tuition since working as a farmer on Babban Gona’s Trade Hub-supported project Photo by: Babban Gona

“Since working with Babban Gona, I have experienced remarkable changes. Before, I hardly got more than 10 bags but now I harvest 50 to 60 bags. Last year, I harvested about 100 bags,” says Dauda. When the pandemic hit, a lot of people had challenges, but God brought relief to us through Babban Gona and I did not feel the effects of the situation.”

Other farmers like Musa Audu, who had already had success working with Babban Gona, were excited to learn about the additional support the Trade Hub project would provide. The joint effort will allow him to continue to send his children to school, instead of requiring them to put their schooling on hold to help in the field.

“After I joined Babban Gona, I was able to pay for one son’s college tuition and my other children’s secondary school tuition,” says Audu. “Honestly, it’s done everything for us.”

Babban Gona also provides smallholder farmers with harvesting and marketing services and financial credit to improve their labor productivity, market access, and incomes.

Prior to the 2021 planting season, approximately 2,500 smallholder farmers supported through Babban Gona’s Trade Hub partnership were trained on best agronomic practices, including land selection, fertilizer application, appropriate spacing techniques, and managing pests and diseases. Then, agricultural packages were distributed.

For maize production, agricultural packages were distributed to over 56,000 farmers, mainly in Kaduna State. It included 880 pounds of fertilizer, 55 pounds of seeds, and 2 liters of herbicides for each standard hectare field.

For rice production, 432 farmers, mainly based in Benue and Cross River States, received 660 pounds of fertilizer, 130 pounds of seeds, and 2.5 liters of herbicides for each standard hectare field.

Collectively, farmers harvested over 40,000 hectares of maize, which is about 56,000 soccer fields and 200 hectares of rice, which is close to 280 soccer fields.

During September to December 2021, Babban Gona also provided hermetic storage facilities to preserve 90,000 metric tons of grain, which will reduce post-harvest losses and further help to improve food security in the four key Nigerian States.

Creative appoints new Vice President to lead its largest division

December 8, 2021

4 min read

Sharon Van Pelt has been appointed Vice President and Senior Director of the Communities in Transition Division at Creative Associates International, a social-impact company implementing development programs in more than 30 countries.

With more than three decades of experience in political dialogue, policy reform, local governance and conflict prevention, she joins Creative from Chemonics where she served as the Senior Global Democracy and Governance Practice Lead for 10 years.

Leland Kruvant, President & CEO of Creative, says Van Pelt’s experience fits with the company’s model that puts programmatic excellence and innovation at the center of its development efforts around the world.

“Sharon is a committed professional and a talented leader who can advance Creative’s mission and vision,” Kruvant says. “Her commitment to development, ability to manage complex programs in challenging environments and dedication to building a robust staff made her a natural choice for us.”

Van Pelt says Creative’s reputation for trying new approaches and its collaborative atmosphere drew her to the position leading the company’s largest division.

“What motivates me is actually getting to know the contexts in which we work, what challenges people face, and how they can solve them,” she says. “What I often find is that this is highly non-technical. It tends to be very inter-relational and political. And it’s that dynamic of various actors coming together to work on a problem, to try and understand it— gain a common understanding of it— and solve it, and that’s what really drives me. That dynamic is what I find is at the core of the passion I have for political transitions, democracy and governance.”

Creative’s Communities in Transition Division has programs operating in 15 countries, including the USAID Office of Transition Initiative’s West Africa Littorals Regional Initiative and several programs supporting liberated areas of Syria.

The Division has four Practice Areas – Stabilization, Political Transitions, Democracy, Governance and Electoral Integrity, and Citizen Security – and counts on a diverse set of clients, including USAID and the U.S. State Department, as well as the German, Danish and Finnish governments.

Watch an interview and read a Q&A with Sharon Van Pelt.

Tom Wheelock retires as CIT’s Senior Vice President

Van Pelt takes over as Tom Wheelock retires after 12 years as the Senior Vice President and Senior Director of the Communities in Transition Division.

Kruvant describes Wheelock as “an exceptional leader who has guided and grown the Division to its current 15 countries, as well as having had a tremendous, positive impact on the staff and beneficiaries.

Wheelock says it has been an honor to shape a division that takes on some of the toughest development assignments facing communities.

“It has been an enormous privilege to lead CIT staff and its projects implementing in some of the world’s toughest environments,” Wheelock told his staff. “During my conversations in the past few weeks with donor colleagues, they clearly hold Creative in high regard for implementing outstanding programs in conflict-prone countries. That is an accolade that is hard to earn.”

Following a leader like Wheelock is tough, though Kruvant says Van Pelt is the right person to step in the role.

In addition to Chemonics, Van Pelt has served as principal governance adviser for the German GIZ and U.N. Development Programme, among others. While a Foreign Service Officer, Van Pelt earned the USAID Meritorious Honor Award for advancing policy dialogue on decentralization and transparency during the Guatemala peace process.

She served as Chief of Party in Moldova, Director of Governance for counter-extremism and peacebuilding programs in francophone Africa, and as an advocacy adviser in Bangladesh, Guatemala and Nigeria. Van Pelt is a Certified Performance Technologist for the International Society for Performance Improvement, and trains staff globally on capacity development, including problem-driven iterative adaptation. She is also the co-chair of the D.C.-based Working Group of the Thinking and Working Politically Community of Practice.

Van Pelt holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in international development from the American University in Washington, D.C.

Watch an interview and read a Q&A with Sharon Van Pelt

About Creative Associates International

Creative Associates International works with underserved communities by sharing expertise and experience in education, elections, economic growth, governance and transitions from conflict to peace.  

Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has active projects in nearly 30 countries. Since 1977, it has worked in nearly 90 countries and on almost every continent. Recognized for its ability to work rapidly, flexibly and effectively in conflict-affected environments, Creative is committed to generating long-term sustainable solutions to complex development problems. 

Creative has grown to become one of the leaders among the U.S. private sector implementers of global development projects. Creative is minority owned and operated.

West Africa – Littorals Regional Initiative

Program

2 min read

In Western Africa and the Sahel, longstanding social, political and economic weaknesses have fueled the spread of violent extremism for decades.

Though many Coastal West African countries have relatively functional state institutions and are more resilient than their Sahelian counterparts, they exhibit many of the same weaknesses making them fertile ground for criminal activities and the expansion of violent extremist organizations.

The Littorals Regional Initiative (LRI) is designed to work at the community level to support counterparts in target areas to withstand the increasing pressures of violent extremism by addressing factors of instability. As an element of the broader U.S. government goal of preventing the spread and consolidation of violent extremist organizations in Coastal West Africa, this USAID/Office of Transitions Initiative (OTI) program increases community resilience and strengthens the capacity of local actors and governments to respond to destabilizing threats.

Working in Ghana, Togo and Benin, the program supports local partner efforts to build resilience (such as helping them manage local conflicts and to support improved inter- and intra-community dynamics among key groups) and to help bring a voice to excluded groups, particularly, women, youth and ethnic minorities.

The USAID program leverages the Office of Transitions Initiative’s model of reaching the most vulnerable locations, particularly along border areas, to support key populations that are striving to maintain security and peace in their communities. The Littorals Regional Initiative uses targeted grants to local organizations and considers various factors when making strategic engagement decisions, including the program’s ability to be impactful at the community level.

Program Goals

Strengthen community resilience to factors of instability

LRI leverages the OTI model of reaching the most vulnerable locations, particularly along border areas, in order to support key stakeholders who are striving to maintain security and peace in their communities. The program aims to enable local and national actors to increase community stability and strengthen social cohesion in targeted communities in order to help them become better prepared to withstand external shocks and threats.

Enable local and national actors to take action to increase community stability

LRI focuses on increasing community stability by empowering local and national actors to address vulnerabilities to violence, conflict, and violent extremism. By strengthening the capabilities and motivation of key stakeholders through increased awareness and skills in areas such as PVE awareness, advocacy, communication, conflict resolution, and early warning monitoring, the program aims to foster a sense of ownership and proactive intervention for the common good. Additionally, by enhancing the capacity of these stakeholders to engage with their communities on peace and security issues, the program seeks to promote sustained positive engagements and collective action to mitigate threats and increase stability.

Strengthen social cohesion in targeted communities

LRI aims to strengthen cohesion in targeted communities by fostering sustained, positive inter- and intra-community engagements and increasing the social inclusion of marginalized groups. By encouraging communities to interact with marginalized groups, LRI helps identify common ground, reducing opportunities for conflict and exploitation by violent extremist organizations. Additionally, by highlighting the value of including marginalized groups and the risks of their isolation, LRI works to change attitudes and perspectives, promoting greater social inclusion and reducing grievances that could lead to conflict.

The great digitization of learning

October 26, 2021

By Ayan Kishore

2 min read

A growing community of education technologists have tried to bring the promise of technology for teachers, students, and caregivers to fruition for decades.

Digitizing learning materials and making them available to beneficiaries can dramatically improve at scale student learning time, parental engagement, teacher training and reading outcomes for students. Yet, these interventions have been on the fringes of international education, particularly in development programming.

All this changed in 2020.

The pandemic shuttered schools globally, and digital was perhaps the only way education could continue. Governments scrambled but adapted quickly, with ministries putting out blended learning policies and setting up and growing their EdTech staffing.

We have seen an epoch of massive digitization of school learning content. In addition to doubling down on existing TV and radio distance learning initiatives, governments also set up new digital learning channels such as learning management systems and virtual meeting communications.

Every Creative education program pivoted, and project staff and teachers upskilled to fill gaps. Learning and training content was digitized and distributed via WhatsApp in Mozambique, eLearning courses and video in Morocco, SMS and radio in Nigeria, and IVR in Ethiopia for example.

There was crucial behavior change beyond the tangibles. The persistent resistance to technology in education was rapidly overcome with forced digitization. Teachers learned how to use distance learning, communication and administrative technologies for reaching and supporting their students. They also gained first-hand experience in learning with technology by receiving professional development virtually.

There is still much to be done.

Some of the rapid changes have missed the EdTech field’s learnings on best practices. What makes for good accessible digital learning content? How does one effectively deliver blended learning across multiple channels? How can learning be assessed remotely?

Much of the digital content is currently inaccessible to the marginalized: people with disabilities, people in remote areas without connectivity, those who cannot afford devices, and so on. The digital divide has become a significant barrier to education equity.

The question on many minds is whether the digital changes brought about by the pandemic will stick. I think so, and so do most country governments.

They are clear about a permanent future of hybrid or blended learning that complements in-person with digital channels, creating for a more resilient education system. Structural capacity is being built, and human spirit has been instigated to find a way.

This is the start of the global era of the Great Digitization of Learning.

We, along with international education colleagues affiliated with the Basic Education Coalition conducted a survey at the turn of this year with 12 developing country governments to understand how they have used education technology to adapt during the pandemic, and their concerns and hopes for the future. You can read the brief report here.

Agriculture-Tech Program to Boost Incomes of 50,000 Nigerian Farmers

August 26, 2021

By Aja Beckham

3 min read

The one-year project will reach 50,000 smallholder farmers, all women and youth, to increase their crop yields and incomes through access to services, networks and technology

Building on its work to boost food security in Nigeria through technology-driven agricultural services, Thrive Agric has launched an ambitious one-year project to support 50,000 smallholder farmers interested in increasing their crop yields and incomes.

“We know that most smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, require more nuanced support to facilitate their participation in [the farming] markets and, ultimately, increase food security and incomes at the household and national levels,” says Ayodeji Arikawe, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Thrive Agric.

Thrive Agric is committing $10 million to fund this project and the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub is backing the effort with a $1.75 million co-investment grant.

Fifty-thousand smallholders, particularly farmers in Kaduna, Kebbi and Kano States, were tapped to join the project. The focus of the initiative is to increase the production of three staple crops— rice, maize and soybean—by involving women and youth in the farming industry. Most of the program participants will be women and youth.

The resources that farmers will access include agronomy advisory services, pre-and post-harvest storage and logistics support, links to credit and agriculture insurance products and the company’s current and future mobile apps.

Through the year-long project, launched in May 2021, at least 50,000 metric tons of rice, maize and soybean is expected to be produced by the end of the 2021 season.

The crops which will be sold to premium markets and result in farmers enjoying higher-than-normal incomes.

Thrive Agric developed mobile apps to support smallholder farmers across Nigeria and Africa at large.

A Thrive Agric field officer in Saminaka, Nigeria, shows farmers how to use the TMoni app that allows them to easily send, receive, save, and borrow money. (Photo By: Thrive Agric)

Through its Tradr mobile app, Thrive gives farmers direct access to seed and other input providers, farm machinery service providers and off-takers within their locations. Also, its Tmoni mobile app provides customers with a digital wallet on their phone, which they can use to send, receive, save and borrow money.

Karl Littlejohn, Trade Hub’s Interim Chief of Party, says that Thrive will position farmers to be competitive in the market because of technology efforts.

“I look forward to seeing the company’s success in using tech solutions to benefit these farmers,” says Littlejohn. “The lessons learned through their tech-savviness can be leveraged to assist future partners seeking innovative avenues to assist stakeholders in the agricultural value chain.”

The project is creating 1,000 jobs within the agricultural value chain, including for prospective farm, field and warehouse managers. Nearly 70 percent of these jobs will go to women, who are often overlooked for higher-paying managerial positions.

Thrive has already proven that its forward-thinking strategies and technology are effective and reach the masses. Since its founding in 2017, it’s helped over 140,000 farmers in Nigeria increase their capacities to meet supply, quality and food safety standards that are required by domestic and export markets.

The company has accomplished this through bundling a variety of products and services normally out of reach for smallholder farmers and partnering with agriculture organizations who assist with distribution, outreach and other efforts.

Arikawe says this is one of the many ways Thrive Agric is approaching opportunity and the market differently than competitors, who tend to follow traditional approaches to boost farmers’ agricultural productivity.

New, Modern Fertilizer Equipment and Plant To Increase Farming Yields in Nigeria

August 2, 2021

By Aja Beckham

4 min read

Enhanced with efficient equipment, the fertilizer blending plant facility under construction in Kaduna State will be able to produce 120 metric tons of customized fertilizer blends and reach 1.3 million smallholder farmers in the area.

OCP Africa Fertilizers Nigeria Ltd. received a $1.4 million USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub grant to purchase new equipment that will produce higher-yielding fertilizers and address food insecurity in the country. OCP Africa contributed $11.7 million to build a new fertilizer blending plant that’s currently under construction in Kaduna, Nigeria.

By 2024, the plant is projected to bring in nearly $45 million and serve than 1.3 Nigerian smallholder farmers through agricultural trainings and fertilizer sales. (Photo By: OCP Africa)

By 2024, the plant is projected to bring in nearly $45 million and serve than 1.3 million Nigerian smallholder farmers through agricultural trainings and fertilizer sales.

Caleb Usoh, Country Manager for OCP Africa Fertilizers Nigeria, says the new USAID West Africa & Investment Hub support will improve farmers’ crop yields and incomes, as well as increase employment at the company’s new factory.

“Over the years, farmers in Nigeria have recorded poor farm yields due to the quality of fertilizers,” says Usoh. “The production and distribution of blended fertilizers combined with the training will help farmers produce better quality crops as well as increase their yields, which will lead to higher earnings and better returns for their farming business.”

OCP Africa, a leader in the production of phosphate-based fertilizers, will install modern blending equipment in its new fertilizer plant. The new addition will help bridge the gap where there is a paucity of specialized fertilizers and grow crops on a large scale to increase food access.

Emmanuel Azaino, Research and Development Director of Trade & Investment Hub, says that currently consumers pay too much for basic food items because farmers don’t have quality fertilizer to yield abundant crops.

“The [food] prices are very high. The average person struggles to afford basic food items like rice, maize and soybean,” says Azaino. “Farmers aren’t yielding enough because they can’t afford fertilizers with the best nutrients or have travel too far to pick it up.”

OCP Africa expects at least 1.3 million smallholder farmers within the catchment area of the plant will benefit from the company’s increased operations.

Farmers will also be able to easily access the fertilizer from the 36 locations that OCP Africa will establish across 13 Nigerian states.

The fertilizer blending equipment will efficiently produce products to meet the demand.

The machine can manufacture 120 metric tons of fertilizer per hour and the plant can store up to 10,000 metric tons. The new fertilizer blends will increase farmers’ yields by 50 to 85 percent per hectare depending on the type of crop, which may include rice, maize, soybean, cassava, tomato and other staple crops in Nigeria.

Also, OCP Africa will lead trainings on good agricultural practices and soil testing for the 75,000 farmers.

Michael Clements, Chief of Party of the Trade Hub, says that the investment will enhance already existing efforts to build sustainable agriculture in Nigeria.

“This project is quite a unique one, and we are excited to partner with OCP Africa to complement the Nigerian government’s policy to leverage locally available resources to expand food production capabilities,” says Clements.

OCP Africa Plant To Hire Locals

Through this co-investment partnership, 826 jobs are expected to be created, including careers for staff at the new facility, organizers who will lead the farming trainings and workers at the 36 locations where OCP Africa will sell products.

Also, in support of the Trade Hub’s goal to ensure that traditionally marginalized groups have equal access to job opportunities in the agricultural sector, at least 50 percent of the 826 jobs will be dedicated to women and youth.

The end goal of the project is to foster a thriving agricultural-business ecosystem in Nigeria.

West Africa Positioned as Major Cashew Nut Exporter Through a New Public Private Partnership

July 9, 2021

By Blessing Lass

3 min read

Red River Foods and USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub partnership to create 500 new jobs and benefit 11,000 farmers, processors and suppliers.

USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub awarded a $3 million grant to Red River Foods in support of increasing cashew kernel production in West Africa, which will help West Africa to become the largest cashew kernel exporter to the U.S. market by April 2024.

Red River Foods, a leading global supplier of plant-based foods, has also committed to investing approximately $47 million in capital and resources. The funding will go towards building a cashew processing facility and provide trainings to local farmers, processors, and suppliers. Also, it will create 500 new jobs and establish training programs that will benefit nearly 11,000 farmers, processors, and suppliers working in Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Benin.

After every cashew harvest season in Ghana, Red River Foods Ghana provides a bonus payment to cashew farmers to help them fund improvements to their cashew fields, purchase new farming equipment, or support education and healthcare for their families.

Dan Phipps, CEO of Red River Foods, says, “Our mission is to sustainably source the highest quality products from around the world. This project is a natural extension of our current integration along with the entire supply and value chain.”

The public-private partnership will have a lasting impact on the region.

Michael Clements, Chief of Party with the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub, says the program supports “ambitious, forward-think projects” like Red River Food’s investment.

“We hope to soon see ‘Made in West Africa’ printed on cashew products bought throughout the United States thanks to this partnership,” Clements says.

The USAID’s West Africa Trade & Investment Hub grant will accelerate economic growth in West Africa and builds on already existing partnerships. The U.S. government’s Prosper Africa effort also seeks increase the two-way trade and investment between the United States and Africa.

The grant will support Red River Food’s efforts to build a cutting-edge cashew processing facility in Cote d’Ivoire. During the three-year partnership, USAID estimates that the infrastructure will generate $27 million in smallholder sales and $32 million in total exports. Red River Foods owns a value-addition facility in the United States.

More than 90 percent of raw cashews grown in West Africa are exported for processing due to poor processing infrastructure, lack of agriculture education, and . The region produces 1.8 million metric tons of cashews annually. While this figure seems massive, it’s still less than the volume of cashews grown and processed in Vietnam and India. The United States is primarily dependent on Vietnam, Thailand and India for importing cashews.

After the facility is complete, Red River Foods projects that West Africa will export nearly 11,000 metric tons more annually – 10,664 metric tons of raw cashew nuts and 668 metric tons of processed cashew nuts.

The agricultural trainings will also increase the amount of cashews processed annually. Due to the lack of agricultural education, farmers have had poor cashew yields, post-harvest losses, and lower incomes relative to cashew farmers in Southeast Asia. As a part of the effort to make West Africa the largest exporter of cashew kernels, Red River Food representatives and food handler officers will participate in technical assistance and agriculture trainings, and then lead training for locals to teach them about best practices for cashew yields and food handling.