For young entrepreneurs who participated in the Nkabom Agro-Food Systems Business Fair at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Somanya, Eastern Region, the exhibition was more than an opportunity to display products. It provided a platform to meet customers, explore business partnerships, engage regulators, and connect with potential investors and other support institutions.
Organised under the Entrepreneurship Pillar of the Nkabom Collaborative-UESD, the three-day fair brought together more than 40 exhibitors, including student entrepreneurs, young agro-processors, aquaculture and agribusiness operators, staff members and members of surrounding communities. The exhibits ranged from fruit juices and dried fruits to palm oil products, herbal teas, cosmetics, animal feed, briquettes, honey and other value-added agricultural products.
Anita Ansah, a UESD student studying Environment and Public Health, described the fair as innovative and beneficial. Through her business, Ann Mango Fresh Natural Juice, she processes mangoes, pineapples and other fruits into natural juices and dried fruits, creating an additional market for farmers while reducing post-harvest losses.
She said customer patronage increased throughout the fair, with sales improving each day. The exposure also opened opportunities beyond the exhibition, as she received invitations to sell her products and participate in programmes organised by other institutions.
For Eastside Sankofa Industries Ghana,UESD the fair demonstrated the immediate market potential of locally processed products. The company showcased mango butter, mango juice and mango cookies, with Operations Officer Benjamin Anson reporting that the products sold out each day.
Eastside Sankofa Industries Ghana showcased a range of mango-based products at the fair.
Beyond the sales, the company connected with potential investors interested in supporting the expansion of its production technology and engaged representatives of the Food and Drugs Authority and standards authorities.
The company was established in response to the problem of mango waste in the Somanya area, where large quantities of mangoes are produced during the bumper season. Benjamin explained that the business seeks to turn surplus mangoes into staple foods, creating employment and generating income for farmers and others within the community.
For Matilda Gadasu, a Level 300 Environmental Management and Technology student at KTU, agricultural waste is the foundation of her business idea. She produces charcoal briquettes from coconut waste, sawdust, and charcoal dust, using cassava starch as a natural binder.
Awintima Azong, a Level 300 History and Religion student, is seeking to turn innovation into opportunity through Awintima Golden Soups, a youth-led enterprise producing powdered versions of popular Ghanaian soups.
Awintima lost her sight while in Form Two at Senior High School, but has continued to pursue her education and entrepreneurial ambitions.
“Despite my disability, I decided to come up with something innovative to address post-harvest losses. I looked at how rampant post-harvest losses are and decided to turn these agricultural products into something usable.
Joseph Nkrumah Kwadjo, an exporter based in Somanya and Chairman of the Federation of Ghana Mango Market Association, said participating in the fair translated directly into sales and new business contacts. Representing the mango value chain, Joseph said the exhibition provided an important platform to showcase their products and connect with potential customers.
“Everything went well during the exhibition and all the items we brought were sold out,” he said. “We sold out everything and even distributed our business cards. ” We would plead that this programme would not be a one-time thing, but I’m looking forward to experiencing more of this in the coming years, also that everyone can come and exhibit the goods they do,” he said.
Joseph said, strengthening support for mango farmers and traders would not only improve the quality of produce but also help reduce losses and increase sales. We are training our farmers in the association, but we need the help of the government,” he concluded.
Student entrepreneurship was also evident in the work of Lawal Mohammed, a Level 400 UESD student and member of Nsroma Agrotech, UESD. His team is adding value to palm oil by infusing it with garlic, turmeric and ginger and developing packaging intended to position the product for larger retail markets.
Lawal Mohammed and Vicentia Danyo
The team has already made some sales and hopes to reach supermarkets and eventually export markets. However, Lawal identified funding, regulatory approval, company registration and limited production capacity as challenges to expansion.
Another example was provided by Portia Alanyo, a postgraduate student of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine at the University of Ghana, who exhibited Lanyo Herbal Tea. She said the fair connected her with industry players and potential clients who expressed interest in her products once the business begins full-scale operations.
While the experiences differed, a common challenge emerged: promising businesses need more than ideas and training to grow. They require access to markets, finance, equipment, regulatory support, mentorship, visibility and business networks. The fair created a space where several of these needs could intersect.
Prof. Richard Amfo-Otu, Lead for Agro-Waste under the Nkabom Collaborative, said the fair was designed to equip young people with opportunities to innovate in agribusiness, particularly agro-waste management and aquaculture, while connecting them with financial institutions, industry players and other stakeholders. He expressed satisfaction with the patronage of the fair and called for greater support for young entrepreneurs to scale their businesses.
“The youth have the potential. Let us create an enabling environment to support them to innovate around the agri-food system,” he said. The exhibitors also proposed stronger publicity, wider community outreach, greater participation from businesses outside Somanya and scheduling that would allow more students to attend future editions.
For the Nkabom Collaborative, the fair demonstrated the value of creating linkages that enable young people to connect their ideas to real markets and opportunities. Some exhibitors made direct sales; others identified potential customers, investors, regulators or mentors.
The products on display were different, but the ambition was shared: to build enterprises that create value, generate employment and respond to real challenges within Ghana’s agricultural and food systems.
And while the fair has ended, the business conversations it started are only beginning.