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142 women famers awarded for hardwork
Sungbo Women Empowerment Organisation (SWEO), a non-governmental organization (NGO) in the Upper West Region has awarded some 142 women farmers in the Wa East District for successfully cultivating soya beans for domestic and commercial consumption.
The awardees who were drawn from various communities in the district received farm equipment and inputs ranging from knapsack sprayers to bags of fertilisers for their exploits.
Speaking at the maiden event at Dupare last Saturday, the Chief Executive Officer of SWEO, Ms Portia Tang said her organisation was interested in enhancing the well-being of women in the region.
She explained that with its presence in six Municipal and District Assemblies, SWEO gave support to women farmers to cultivate soya beans by providing them with the requisite farm implements and inputs on credit basis for repayment later.
“This award ceremony is to recognise the efforts of women who took our credit facilities for their farming, paid on time and maximised productivity”, she said.
She explained that the award sought to also encourage more women to venture into farming and commended the traditional authorities for making land available to the women.
The CEO explained that her organisation was interested in economic empowerment of women and sought to equip women with the necessary skills and support in their various fields of endeavour to enhance productivity and economic independence.
“We have trained some young ladies in shea butter processing and supported them with processing machines as well as mechanised boreholes for the production of shea products”, she said.
Ms Tang encouraged more women to venture into agriculture and appealed to landowners and chiefs to provide land for the women in order to support their quest.
For her part, the District Director at the Department of Agriculture, Ms Mavis Daregobah bemoaned the prevalence of bushfires as well as stealing of farm produce and livestock in the area and said that it thwarted the efforts of farmers.
She appealed to chiefs, landlords and the assembies to institute measures towards combating such criminal and unproductive acts against farmers in the area.
She called on farmers to endeavour to produce beyond subsistence level by venturing into commercial farming in order to maximise profit.
Madam Asata Shaibu Muhammadu from Duapri and Madam Karima Alhassan from Goripie were adjudged the overall best farmers.
Each of the two women received a bicycle, knapsack sprayers, weedicides and a pair of wellington boots for cultivating eight acres of soya beans each and paying up the credit they received from the NGO on time.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, DUPARE
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Communication Ministry To Train 3000 Girls This Year Under The Girls-In-ICT Initiative
The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations is set to train 3,000 girls under this year’s Girls-In-ICT Initiative.
The 2025 edition of the programme will expand its footprint to three key regions: Volta, Upper East and Upper West, with each region hosting 1,000 girls for in-person training sessions.
This marks a significant increase in reach and impact compared to previous years, where only 500 girls received face-to-face training while an additional 500 participated online.
By offering full in-person training to all participants this year, the Ministry aims to provide a more immersive and hands-on experience in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education.
The Minister, Samuel Nartey George (MP) revealed this when a team from TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) paid a courtesy call on him today in his office and expressed interest in supporting the Girls-In-ICT Initiative.
During the meeting, the TCS team led by the President-MEA, Sumanta Roy commended the Ministry for its efforts in promoting digital inclusion and bridging the gender gap in technology through the Girls-In-ICT programme.
They emphasized the alignment of the initiative with TCS’s global corporate social responsibility agenda, which includes advancing education, promoting digital skills, and empowering underrepresented groups, especially young women in the tech industry.
The Honourable Minister welcomed the interest shown by TCS and noted that strategic partnerships like this are essential to the sustainability and expansion of the initiative.
The Girls-In-ICT Initiative, one of the Ministry’s flagship programs, seeks to equip young girls with practical digital skills and introduce them to the vast opportunities within the ICT sector.
The initiative also aims to address gender disparity in STEM fields and encourage greater female participation in Ghana’s digital economy.
Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP) speaking about the 2025 rollout, stated: “This year’s program represents our commitment to building inclusive digital skills and creating future leaders in tech.
By expanding in-person sessions to all participants, we’re ensuring that every girl has the opportunity to learn, engage, and grow with hands-on support from professionals and mentors”.
Participants in this year’s training will receive instruction in coding, basic computer operations, cybersecurity and creative digital tools.
The programme also features mentorship sessions with women in tech, ICT competitions and career development workshops designed to build confidence and spark innovation among the girls.
According to the Minister, empowering girls today with ICT skills will transform communities and drive national development. The initiative is a key part of Ghana’s broader digital transformation agenda, which emphasizes equitable access to digital tools and education for all citizens.
About the Girls In ICT Initiative:
The Girls-in-ICT (GIICT) Initiative was introduced in Ghana in 2012. It is an initiative by the International Telecommunications Union to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider studies and careers in the growing field of ICT.
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
