The French government has reiterated its commitment to empower women entrepreneurs in Ghana to enable them to expand their ventures and contribute meaningfully to national development.

This is in line with its vision of fostering a renewed and equitable relationship between France and the African continent aimed at poverty reduction, sustainable growth and inclusive development.

The French Ambassador to Ghana, Jules-Armand Aniambossou, who made this pledge, said Ghana was rich with opportunities for sustainable development, hence the need to strengthen partnerships for mutual benefits.

He made the comment when he inspected a shea processing centre at Tugu, a farming community in the Tamale Metropolis, as part of his working visit to the Northern Region.

The shea processing centre is an initiative led by Advans Savings and Loans, a French-owned financial institution operating in Ghana, to support marginalised communities and small businesses.

The project is being implemented in partnership with organisations such as the Mastercard Foundation, the Global Shea Alliance and the Sahel Agricultural Services.

Job creation

In his remarks, Mr Aniambossou expressed satisfaction with the operation of the shea processing factory and pledged continued support to them.

The Chief Executive Officer of Advans Savings and Loans, Guillaume Valence, indicated that the shea processing initiative had positively impacted about 8,000 women over the past three years through job creation and expansion of economic opportunities.

He said so far, 90 cooperatives had received training and capacity-building support, with 46 of them benefiting from financial assistance in 2024 alone, totalling nearly GH¢4 million.

He lauded the women for promptly repaying their loans, saying that it had enabled the company to broaden its support to more women in the area.

A Leader of the Tugu Women Cooperative, Fuseina Andani, thanked the French government and the various partners for the intervention and said it had improved their economic fortunes.

“Previously, we sold our shea to middlemen at very low prices. Now we see the real benefits," she said.