USAID deepens access to alternative financing

Bilkis Nurudeen

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the U.S government’s Feed the Future Financing Ghanaian Agriculture Project (USAID FinGAP) and the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) have organized a workshop for over 100 business owners and managers on how to access funding from alternative sources.

The workshop centered on raising funds from the capital market, specifically the Ghana Alternative Market (GAX) and the Ghana Fixed Income Market (GFIM).

In attendance were members of Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), the Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters, FAGE, Institute for Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ), and representatives of the Kosmos Energy Innovation Center.

The presentations at the workshop focused on pre-conditions for listing and raising financing on the capital market. The event also registered the businesses interested in listing securities on the capital market.

Through the ‘Feed the Future’ global hunger and food security initiative, USAID FinGAP works to increase access to finance for agribusiness and smallholder farmers to improve agricultural productivity, enhance food security, and promote inclusive economic growth.

Since its formation, USAID FinGAP has assisted to unlock over US$158 million in private capital for 2,846 agribusinesses, out of which 40 percent are women led enterprises.

These have yielded rippling effect on over 162,000 smallholder famers in the maize, rice, and soy value chains.