A women-led agro-processing cooperative in northern Ghana is making a business case for inclusion in the government’s 24-hour economy policy, citing strong revenue potential, job creation capacity, and alignment with national development goals.
The Northern Savannah Women Enterprise, supported by the Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), currently operates a value-adding agro-processing facility in Bolgatanga.
The centre employs over 600 rural women to produce a variety of consumer goods, including groundnut oil, soya milk, soya kebab, and groundnut paste, geared toward both domestic and export markets.
With projected monthly profits exceeding GH₵9 million, the group says it is ready to scale up and operate around the clock, contributing significantly to Ghana’s industrialisation efforts, rural economic transformation, and food security objectives.
“Our business is more than a social impact venture, it is a scalable industrial model with the potential to absorb hundreds more youth and women into productive employment,” said Madam Barikisu Sulley, Chairperson of the enterprise.
“What we need now is certification support, infrastructure expansion, and access to policy-backed funding streams,” he added.
The women, who have undergone product development training from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Food Research Institute (CSIR-FRI), produce quality-assured food products with strong market appeal.
Their operations, however, are constrained by space limitations and a lack of certified processing facilities, challenges they say are resolvable with strategic government investment.
NORPRA’s Executive Director, Mr. Bismark Adongo Ayorogo, underscored the strategic fit between the women’s business model and the government’s 24-hour economy policy, which is designed to support value-adding enterprises to run continuous shifts and enhance productivity.
“This initiative is tailor-made for the 24-hour economy. It’s labour-intensive, demand-driven, and capable of generating sustainable revenue streams. With the right public-private collaboration, it can evolve into a major anchor of Ghana’s rural industrial economy,” Mr. Ayorogo said.
He appealed to the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly to prioritise the women’s processing hub in its Medium-Term Development Plan and assist in accessing the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Fund to support the expansion.
NORPRA is also pushing for integration of the centre’s products into public procurement schemes, including the School Feeding Programme, government health facilities, and boarding schools, as a way to support demand and scale local production.
“If supported at scale, this facility alone can contribute meaningfully to import substitution, food self-sufficiency, and inclusive economic growth, delivering on multiple Sustainable Development Goals,” Mr. Ayorogo added.
Responding to the proposal, Mr. Roland Atanga Ayoo, Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga, expressed strong interest in supporting the enterprise, stating that the Assembly is currently developing its new Medium-Term Development Plan and would welcome a detailed presentation from the women’s group.
“This is the kind of grassroots industrial initiative we want to support. If properly integrated into our development strategy, it can serve as a model for agro-based job creation across the northern belt,” the MCE said.
