On March 15, 2022, U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie S. Sullivan announced $4.2 million in co-investment grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to five Ghanaian companies: AMAATI Company Ltd, DTRT Apparel, FreezeLink, Maphlix Trust, and Nuts 4 Growth, per. These grants, part of the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub), aim to leverage private sector funds to scale operations, enhance export opportunities, and create jobs. “These co-investments will help these companies access African and U.S. markets, while creating jobs here in Ghana,” Sullivan stated, per. The initiative is expected to generate over $45 million in private investment, increase exports by $166 million, and create more than 2,000 jobs, primarily for women and youth, per.
Alignment with Women’s Empowerment and Trade Initiatives
The announcement was made during the U.S. Embassy’s Providing Opportunity for Women’s Economic Rise (POWER) program, coinciding with Women’s History Month, per. In collaboration with Howard University and the International Trade Centre, the Embassy hosted the Women’s Empowerment Lab to support Ghanaian and North American women entrepreneurs in leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). “Ghanaian companies can export more than 6,500 goods duty-free to the United States today, and the AfCFTA opens up a $3.4 trillion market,” Sullivan noted, emphasizing the trade opportunities, per. The program fosters networking across the Atlantic to boost women-led businesses.
Details of the Five Co-Investment Grants
AMAATI Company Ltd
AMAATI, a woman-owned social enterprise focused on fonio, a nutritious African grain, received a $742,000 USAID grant, supplemented by $4.5 million in private investment, per. The funds will support 5,800 landless women farmers in northern Ghana, creating a West African value chain for fonio exports to North America and Europe. AMAATI will use American-made John Deere equipment and target U.S. buyers like Century Green and Mayaresa, aiming to generate income for 8,000 farmers, per.
DTRT Apparel
DTRT Apparel, West Africa’s leading apparel manufacturer, was awarded a $760,000 grant to expand garment production, per. With additional private investment, the company aims to achieve $100 million in annual exports by 2025, creating 2,000 jobs, mostly for women, and supplying major U.S. clothing brands, per. The expansion will strengthen Ghana’s position in the global apparel market, leveraging AGOA’s duty-free access.
FreezeLink
FreezeLink, a provider of temperature-controlled logistics, received a $767,000 grant to install affordable cold storage units, per. This will boost horticultural exports and reduce spoilage, including for COVID-19 vaccines, catalyzing $6.7 million in investment and $11 million in exports. FreezeLink will use U.S.-made Carrier refrigeration units and partner with Zipline, an American medical delivery firm, per.
Maphlix Trust
Maphlix Trust, a key exporter of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, secured a $970,000 grant and $6 million in private funds to support 1,100 farmers, per. The company will install $1.2 million in U.S.-made Sinnovatek processing technology to produce purée addressing Vitamin A deficiency, targeting $4.4 million in annual revenue by 2024, with 60% from exports, per.
Nuts 4 Growth (N4G)
N4G, a shea and soy processor, received a $980,000 grant to expand its out-grower program for 20,000 women soy farmers, per. With upgraded machinery and American lab equipment from Agilent and BrandTech Scientific, N4G aims to achieve $30 million in shea butter exports to the U.S. and EU by April 2024, supplying firms like Bunge, per.
Broader Economic and Strategic Impact
These grants align with the Prosper Africa Initiative, AGOA, and President Biden’s Build Back Better World initiative, deepening U.S.-Africa commercial ties, per. By supporting firms poised for growth, USAID/Ghana aims to drive large-scale development, with a focus on women and youth. The investments tap into AfCFTA’s $3.4 trillion market and AGOA’s duty-free access to 6,500 products, positioning Ghana as a trade hub in West Africa, per. This initiative reflects Ghana’s stable business environment, as noted by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre in 2022.
