The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has trained 60 straw basket weavers from two communities in the Bongo District on innovative new designs aimed at boosting the quality of their products for both national and international markets.

The five-day training, held in Nyariga, benefited 30 participants each from the Nyariga and Zorko communities, renowned hubs for the production of the internationally acclaimed “Bolga Baskets”.

As part of its broader initiative to strengthen the basket value chain, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has launched a training programme aimed at enhancing the technical skills of artisans and aligning their products with evolving market trends and international export standards.

The training focused on stimulating buyer interest, unlocking business opportunities for women, and ultimately improving livelihoods within the sector.

Delivering remarks on behalf of Mr Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur, the Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, Mrs Esther Efa-Quayson, Acting Head of GEPA’s Bolgatanga Zonal Office, highlighted the Authority’s commitment to providing technical support to key stakeholders in the basket industry.

She emphasised that these capacity-building efforts were aligned with the government’s Accelerated Export Development Programme and were essential for maintaining the global appeal of Bolga baskets.

Mrs Efa-Quayson noted that GEPA was particularly dedicated to supporting artisans in Northern Ghana, helping them scale up production, enhance product quality, and meet the standards of high-value international markets.

She revealed that four entirely new basket designs were introduced during the training and encouraged participants to share the knowledge with their peers to maximize the programme’s impact.

The beneficiaries lauded the support, describing the training programme as a timely intervention to revive the sector, empower women, and promote sustainable livelihoods through improved craftsmanship.

Some of the weavers indicated that prior to the training, they could not produce baskets with the new designs, but added that the training had equipped them with the knowledge and skills to produce such baskets to meet current market demands.

Madam Gifty Aganyeta, one of the beneficiaries from the Nyariga community, said the training would enhance the technical skills of weavers to produce high-quality, innovative baskets that could attract and retain more buyers, thereby increasing income levels for rural women.

Madam Sandra Akolbire, a participant from Zorko, noted that during the dry season, women in the community used to remain idle due to the lack of jobs.

 She stressed that the support from GEPA over the years had significantly changed the situation.

“We can now find something to do during the dry season to support our households and pay our children’s school fees. We promise to train our colleagues on the new designs we have learned,” she said.