The SNV Netherlands Development Organization in Ghana and the European Union have commissioned six eco-friendly and sustainable businesses in the Ashanti region.

The businesses fall under its ‘Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana’ (GrEEn) project, which seeks to support and scale-up local businesses in the GrEEn and circular economy.

The team visited the enterprises situated in vantage localities within the region, and are into diverse green productions, including waste recycling into fertilizers, oil refining and business advisory centres.

The week-long activities commenced in Sekyere, where Tahir Fields Recycling - an oil refinery owned by Tahir Taajuddeen recycles waste engine oil using green technology approaches.

In enhancing production capacity at the site, Tahir Taajuddeen unveiled new facilities including a pre-treatment tank, filtration system, reactor, heating system, condensers, a post-treatment tank, and a tricycle.

After receiving a matching grant of GH₵140,000 from the European Union during the 2021 GrEEn Innovation Challenge by SNV Ghana, he has increased his daily waste oil recycling and refinery from 12 liters to 940 liters, creating employment for many youths.

At New Edubiase, the CEO of Supreme Pod Industry, Michael Acquah, commissioned a cutting-edge cocoa juice production factory.

He identified the under-utilisation of cocoa by farmers in the region to add more value to the cash crop, developing them into juice.

“Over the years, the processing of cocoa has mainly been on the dried beans. In the value chain of processing this dried bean, there is the first part which is the husk; the bulk outer layer that contains the beans, and there is also the pod which is the whitish substance around the cocoa beans.

“That sweet, whitish substance normally goes to waste when they break the pod to do the fermentation. So, this is whyI have developed the technology and the innovation to extract and process into juice,” he revealed.

Equipped with a water treatment facility, machines, and essential logistics, the factory has created jobs for 25 young people in the community.

The commissioning was attended by representatives from SNV Ghana, the Agriculture Director of the Adansi South District, and a high-level delegation from COCOBOD, Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), as well as cocoa farmers.

Ghana loses millions of cedis to food and household waste which could easily be converted into other reusable products.

In Akotosu in the Sekyere Kumawu District, Andrew Abuska - owner of Eye of the Brain Ecofeeds - collects and recycles household and food waste, using them to nurse maggots and make feed for fish, poultry, sheep, cattle, and goats.

His production facility intends to boost production from 15 bags per week to 100 bags daily and increase supply of organic fertiliser to more than 1,000 farmers in the district and across the country.

This comes after receiving a matching grant of GH₵135,000 from the GrEEn Project.

The team moved to Nhyiaeso where the CEO of Rural Green Recycling, Frank Amoah Boateng commissioned a waste segregation site funded by the European Union.

The facility is equipped with a crusher to shred Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) waste plastic bottles before selling them to recycling centres.

He has been able to increase plastic waste collection from 1.5 tonnes to 5 tonnes per month in Atasemanso, and from 0.2 tonnes to 4-6 tonnes per month in Obogu in the Asante Akyem District, after receiving a GH₵ 55,000 grant support from the GrEEn Project.

Frank Boateng has additionally set up a material recovery facility to collect PET, High Density Polyethylene (HD) and wastepaper to be recycled.

In Jamasi, Pamela Agbogse - founder of Pamela Chicks and Feed - inaugurated a poultry feed production facility equipped with a three-in-one (blower, hammer mill, and mixer) machine.

She received a matching grant of GH₵100,000 and is set to produce 600 bags of feed a day as compared to the 200 bags she formerly produced in a week to meet market demand.

Interestingly, her increased capacity has secured her a project to produce feed for about 80,000 birds.

Ofnet Farms, owned by Foster Osae, received GH₵70,000 from the European Union and the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana to support his organic fertilizer production business in Jamasi.

Mr. Osae produces organic fertilizer from agro and other farm waste such as cocoa and rice husks.

His capacity has expanded from 50 bags per week to 3,600 bags weekly, providing employment to 27 youths in the community.

All six entrepreneurs are also graduates of the Project’s 6-month GrEEn Incubation and Acceleration Programmes facilitated by its business hub partners in the Ashanti and Western regions.

In May 2023, five green businesses in the Western region that received matching grants under the maiden GrEEn Innovation Challenge also commissioned their projects.

These include Antanah Farms, Mending Papers Ltd, A. A Community Spring Water, Waterforce Ventures and Roland Rice in the Shama District.

Currently, 27 green entrepreneurs have received matching grants under the challenge with over GH₵3 million grant money awarded.

Green entrepreneurs who complete the GrEEn Incubation and Acceleration Programmes are eligible to receive matching grants of up to EUR25,000 to grow their businesses and create jobs at the community level for youth job seekers under the GrEEn Innovation Challenge by SNV Ghana.

Across the two regions, Innohub Growth Centre provides the GrEEn Acceleration Programme, which targets matured businesses and aims at making them ready for investment.

The GrEEn Incubation Programme targets sustainable start-ups and early-stage businesses, providing business advisory support services, market access and linkages as well as financial support.

About GrEEn Project

The Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) project, is a four-year action from the European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).

The project aims at creating greater economic and employment opportunities for the youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable, green businesses and providing employable skills training to youth job seekers in two selected regions in Ghana: Ashanti and Western in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.