The Financial Inclusion for Last Mile Actors (FILMA) Programme has launched the National Inclusive and Indigenous Market Actors’ Convention (NIIMAC) to strengthen market linkages and create sustainable employment opportunities for young people, women and persons with disabilities.
Speaking at the National Policy Dialogue on Job Creation and the launch of NIIMAC, Investment/Program Director at AV Ventures LLC, Dr. Zubeiru Salifu, said Ghana’s efforts to create sustainable jobs in agriculture must go beyond increasing production to ensuring that producers have reliable markets for their goods.
“Sustainable jobs for LMAs and PWDs will not be created by production alone; they will be created when production is effectively linked to reliable and inclusive markets,” he said.
Dr. Salifu noted that across the Northern, Volta, Bono and Oti Regions, young people and other actors in agricultural value chains continue to face difficulties securing reliable buyers and commercially viable prices, while processors and large-scale buyers also struggle to obtain the quantity, quality and consistency of products they require.
He cited purchase orders secured by AV Ventures LLC as an indication of the scale of the market coordination problem. According to him, purchase orders totalling 891 metric tonnes of rice, maize, cassava, gari and soybeans, valued at GHS 4.96 million, remained unfulfilled as of June 2026.
He said the situation demonstrates that Ghana’s agricultural challenge is not simply about supply or demand, but about connecting producers and buyers efficiently.
“This demonstrates that the challenge is not simply one of supply or demand; rather, it is fundamentally a challenge of market coordination, where producers and buyers are unable to connect effectively in ways that create value for both parties and generate sustainable employment opportunities,” Dr. Salifu said.
The NIIMAC initiative seeks to position Ghana’s indigenous markets as stronger economic institutions capable of connecting producers, traders, transporters, processors and consumers across agricultural value chains.
Dr. Salifu identified markets including Techiman, Kintampo, Bimbilla, Nkwanta, Sogakope and Agbogbloshie as important hubs for aggregation, price discovery, logistics and trade, arguing that their potential can be harnessed to expand economic opportunities for young people and persons with disabilities.
He said strengthening these markets will require improved access to market information, better commodity aggregation systems, investment in market infrastructure and digital platforms, stronger transport and logistics networks, as well as structured market linkages and off-take arrangements.
According to him, these interventions can improve market efficiency, reduce post-harvest losses and create employment opportunities beyond primary production, including in aggregation, warehousing, transportation, processing, trading and other value-chain services.
Dr. Salifu said the FILMA Programme is already working to build this ecosystem by linking producers to markets, developing skills in value addition and agribusiness, improving access to market intelligence and strengthening relationships among actors across value chains.
He called for collaboration among government, the private sector, financial institutions, development partners and indigenous market leaders to build market systems that respond to the needs of Last Mile Actors (LMAs) and persons with disabilities.
“If we strengthen our indigenous markets, we will strengthen local economies. If we strengthen local economies, we will attract investment. If we attract investment, businesses will grow. And when businesses grow, sustainable jobs will be created for Ghana’s young people,” he said.
The launch of NIIMAC comes as stakeholders seek to address structural barriers within Ghana’s agricultural and agribusiness sectors and translate production into sustainable and dignified livelihoods.
Dr. Salifu urged stakeholders to use the platform to invest in the infrastructure, systems and partnerships needed to make Ghana’s indigenous markets more inclusive and efficient.
“If we get this right, we will create jobs, grow businesses, increase incomes, and unlock lasting economic opportunities for Ghana’s young people and PWDs,” he added.
