Press Releases

Speeches Shim

Friday, August 21, 2020 - 3:15pm

Accra, GHANA— On Wednesday, August 12, 2020, the United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) launched the Action for Shea Parklands (ASP) initiative.  Spearheaded by GSA, this initiative seeks to promote, plant, and protect the shea parklands while advancing a shea industry commitment to plant ten million trees across West Africa over the next ten years.  In Ghana, 20,000 trees will be planted across the five northern regions this year alone. 

To commemorate the launch, U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie S. Sullivan joined members of the Global Shea Alliance and women shea cooperative leaders to plant 50 shea seedlings in seedling bags which will be transported to the Northern Region of Ghana for planting during the 2021 shea season.

Monday, June 29, 2020 - 9:00am

On Monday, June 22, 2020, the USAID West Africa Regional Feed the Future (FtF) team virtually launched their newly published Global Food Security Strategy West Africa Regional Plan.  The Feed the Future West Africa Regional Plan, covering 2019-2024, presents a five-year strategy for West Africa to achieve the initiative’s goal of reducing poverty, hunger and malnutrition. This plan reflects an evidence-based, integrated, interagency and regional approach to pursuing the three objectives of sustainable agriculture-led growth, resilience, and nutrition while positioning the region and its countries to become self-reliant.

Shea Success in West Africa: Ambassador promotes women’s economic development with new shea processing center in Northern Ghana
Thursday, February 6, 2020 - 10:00am

Sorogu, Northern Region, GHANA— On Wednesday, February 5, 2020, U.S. Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan inaugurated a shea butter processing facility and warehouse for the Tiyumtaba Women’s Shea Cooperative of Sorogu, located in the Sagnerigu Municipality in the Northern Region of Ghana. The new facility, is part of a U.S. Government effort to partner with communities, companies, and non-profit organizations in West Africa to expand economic opportunities for women. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) developed the facility in partnership with the Burt’s Bees brand, owned by American manufacturer, The Clorox Company, and the Ghanaian firm Savannah Fruits Company; the facility will increase incomes for 600 Ghanaian women who collect and process shea nuts.

 More apparel companies in Ghana and Benin are focusing on empowering women with skills as West Africa’s apparel manufacturing industry grows.
Wednesday, May 8, 2019 - 1:45pm

On May 8-10, 2019, the United States of America, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ethical Apparel Africa (EAA), will welcome American companies to Accra to highlight Ghana’s  growing apparel manufacturing industry and sourcing opportunities in apparel exports.  The three day conference, led by EAA at the Movenpick Hotel, will enable brand sourcing executives from the U.S. to visit factories in Ghana, meet factory owners, and engage with logistics and trade and export specialists in order to understand the benefits for their organization.

Supporters at the Congress Place in Niamey to launch the G5 Sahel Women's Platform
Thursday, October 18, 2018 - 10:15am

n Friday, October 12, 2018, more than 250 supporters gathered at the Congress Place in Niamey to launch the G5 Sahel Women’s Platform . The platform aims to convene key leaders, stakeholders and champions of women organizations committed to working together to yield positive actions in areas involving women, peace, justice and security throughout Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad.

Participants at the Fall Armyworm workshop in Benin
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 - 10:30am

Over ninety agriculture sector practitioners will meet at the facilities of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Cotonou, Benin, on February 13-15 to train trainers on the management of one of the most destructive crop pests, the Fall Armyworm (FAW; Spodoptera frugiperda) in Africa, with particular focus on West Africa. Jointly convened by the ECOWAS Commission, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with the technical expertise of IITA, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and resource persons from international and national research and development institutions, the training is aimed at building technical capacity in the West Africa region in integrated pest management (IPM)-based FAW management.

A threat to global food security
Tuesday, February 6, 2018 - 11:45am

In 2016, an invasive crop pest called the fall armyworm (FAW) was first confirmed in Africa. Native to the Americas, FAW can feed on 80 different crop species including maize, a staple food consumed by over 300 million African smallholder farm families. The crop pest has since been found in over 30 African countries, posing a significant threat to food security, income and livelihoods.

The signing ceremony - U.S. Ambassador to Niger, Eric P. Whitaker, Alex Deprez, from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/West Africa and the Executive Secretary of CILSS
Monday, February 5, 2018 - 10:00am

On Monday, February 5, 2018, The United States Government and The Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) reaffirmed their commitment and collaboration to strengthen harmonization and delivery of development programs that aid millions of people throughout West Africa. U.S. Ambassador to Niger, Eric P. Whitaker, Alex Deprez, from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/West Africa and the Executive Secretary of CILSS, Dr. Djimé Adoum, recognized the multi-year Development Agreement between the two institutions.

Demonstration of the online application system
Thursday, January 25, 2018 - 9:45am

Accra, Ghana (January 19, 2018) – As part of efforts to promote the development of research and evaluation skills of institutions and individuals in West and Central Africa, USAID/West Africa’s Evidence for Development (E4D), in conjunction with the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA), is launching a free online certificate program in health project evaluation and operations research, on January 19, 2019 for members of AfrEA and national evaluation associations in the Sub-Saharan Africa sub-region.

USAID/WA Mission Director, Alex Deprez and ECOWAS President sign agreement
Thursday, November 16, 2017 - 9:45am

On Friday, November 10, 2017, The United States Government and the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) reaffirmed their commitment and collaboration to strengthen harmonization and delivery of development programs that aid millions of people throughout West Africa. Alex Deprez, Mission Director, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/West Africa and the President of ECOWAS, Marcel de Souza, recognized the multi-year Development Agreement between the two institutions.

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