The West Africa Trade Hub has assisted about 150 businesses in the export of non-traditional goods in the sub-region to export $5.4m worth of commodities since 2005. The WATH has also helped the businesses to garner $1m in regional trade, and facilitated inflow of another $1m in foreign direct investment within the period.

By mid-2006, WATH's clients had secured more than $3.7m in sales to the US. Leah Quin, Communications and Outreach Specialist of WATH, disclosed this to The Statesman in Accra.

Ms Quin said the WATH provides training and technical assistance to exporting West African companies in five commodities. These are fish and seafood, shea butter, handicrafts, processed cashews, and manufactured apparel.

She said WATH sponsors selected businesses to participate in US trade shows, and provides preparatory training and in-depth technical assistance. She added that it also assists the enterprises with quality certification, packaging, pricing and marketing materials.

Working in 21 countries across Western Africa, WATH specialises in technical assistance, training to businesses, connecting people to information resources, and co-ordinating multi-lateral projects to increase trade. WATH helps businesses take advantage of the export of about 6,500 products, including footwear, apparel, processed tomatoes and canned tropical fruit salad, duty-free to the US at African Growth and Opportunity Act Resource Centres in 15 countries.

WATH and the United States Agency for International Development pay for subscriptions to Trade Map and Product Map for the countries as well as online trade and market research tools available at the resource centres. "WATH was the trigger of a dream. We got all the tips and knowledge to feel confident to export to the US market,” says Caroline Kendem, a Camerounian entrepreneur.

WATH is a USAID-funded trade development project based in Ghana and Senegal. Realising that regional co-operation and integration is key in all its initiatives, WATH works closely with the Economic Community of West African States and Union Economiques et Monetaire Ouest Africaine - UEMOA.

WATH is working to alleviate obstacles that make trade difficult within West Africa and beyond. Its priorities include reducing bribery and delays in road transport, harmonised standards to prevent crop pests, and to ensure good animal health and food safety. The hub also runs an efficient region-wide customs information system, and undertakes World Trade Organisation training for government analysts and negotiators.

In a related development, Kofi Debrah, Chief Advisor of the Regional Market Information Systems and Traders" Organisations of West Africa, has revealed to this paper that MISTOWA’s Market Information Systems unit has trained over 1,000 producers, traders and enumerators in Information and Communications Technology and MIS. Dr Debrah stated that the MIS unit has facilitated the set-up of over 100 AgriBusiness Information Points throughout West Africa to improve access to market data.

The MISTOWA is a four-year (2004-2008) project funded by USAID West Africa, and implemented by the International Fertilizer Development Centre. Based in Accra, the project has offices in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.

Initially, MISTOWA’s focus is on these countries, except Togo, and concentrates on commodities with the strongest potential to increase trade, employment and food security such as maize, rice, cassava, cattle, tomatoes, onion, cashew, shea and fertilizer.

Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Niger and Togo, and commodities such as fish, mango, sesame, red meat and cowpea will be added during the course of the project. The main goal of MISTOWA is to increase regional agricultural trade and food security by improving access to, and commercial use of, market information through training in ICT, business, organisational management and advocacy skills.

According to Dr Debrah, the project has trained above 500 producer and trader organisations, and other partners in organisational management and advanced advocacy skills. In addition, it has provided assistance to 3000 traders and producers to participate in conferences related to agricultural trade. He said the Business and Trade Unit of MISTOWA has trained over 200 members of producer and trader organisations in business management skills as well as provided advanced advocacy training to more than 120 partner representatives to enable them actively participate in the changing West African trade environment.

The unit has also awarded over $800,000 in equipment grants to ensure its partner organisations have the necessary hardware and software to take part in the project effectively. The chief advisor noted that a Memorandum of Understanding was about to be signed between MISTOWA and MTN in Nigeria for the latter to provide 20m naira in promotion - billboards, TV and other media adverts. “In December, we are going to sponsor some traders and producers to join the West Africa Advocacy Group. We are in contact with parliamentary committees on agriculture and ECOWAS MPs.”