GHANA HAS officially launched the Building Resilience and to Invest in the Development and Growth of Entrepreneurs in Agriculture (BRIDGE-In Agriculture) programme, a five-year, $ 87 million initiative aimed at transforming the country’s agricultural sector.
The programme seeks to provide affordable capital and technical support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in agriculture and related sectors, with a particular focus on empowering youth and women.
The launch event was graced by actor, politician and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, John Setor Dumelo, who represented Hon. Eric Opoku, Minister for Food and Agriculture.
Hon. Setor Dumelo highlighted the programme’s potential to revolutionize agribusiness in Ghana by offering accessible financing and capacity-building opportunities to young entrepreneurs, especially women.
BRIDGE-In Agriculture is a partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and CrossBoundary Advisory, in collaboration with commercial banks, business development service providers, and a technology partner.
The programme aims to address the financing gap in Ghana’s agricultural sector, where agriculture contributes approximately 19.6% to the country’s GDP but receives only about 3.2% of bank loans.
Key components of the programme include:
- Affordable Financing: Partnering with commercial banks to offer loans at single-digit interest rates to agribusinesses, facilitating expansion and job creation.
- Capacity Building: Providing targeted training and technical support to SMEs and young individuals (aged 18-35), equipping them with skills for dignified and fulfilling employment or entrepreneurship.
- Grants: Eligible trainees may receive grants of up to GHS 27,500 to support business growth.
The programme targets to impact over 400,000 young people, with at least 70% being women, and aims to create and sustain over 140,000 dignified jobs.
Source: Nationaltyme.com
