By: Emmanuel Dartey Sogah
Global Affairs Canada has committed C$20 million to help level the economic playing field for women traders in West Africa through its Making Trade Work for Women in West Africa initiative. The five-year program will span six countries—Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria—and aims to support 80,000 informal and formal traders, 70% of whom are women.
The initiative, delivered in partnership with CECI and TradeMark Africa, isn’t just about funding—it’s about flipping the script on who gets to win in trade. And in Ghana, JS Morlu Ghana stands ready to help ensure that script gets a powerful local rewrite.
As a leading audit, tax, and business advisory firm with a strong track record in financial literacy and SME support, JS Morlu Ghana is uniquely equipped to provide grassroots, practical support to help women traders scale their impact.
“We understand the everyday hurdles women traders face—from crossing borders to crossing off bookkeeping tasks,” said a JS Morlu Ghana representative. “We’re here to make business easier, more compliant, and a whole lot more profitable.”
From registering businesses and filing taxes to training on digital tools and navigating customs compliance, JS Morlu Ghana brings hands-on expertise that aligns directly with the program’s goals: helping women become not just participants in trade—but power players.
Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy in Action
The Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Myriam Montrat, highlighted how this initiative echoes Canada’s broader feminist foreign policy.
“Canada is investing C$20 million to ensure women traders are not left on the sidelines. When women thrive, entire communities thrive,” she noted.
Nowhere is that more urgent than at the border posts, where harassment, poor infrastructure, and limited access to finance have historically blocked progress for women traders. A World Bank study along key corridors like Tema-Ouagadougou and Abidjan-Lagos paints a clear picture: the barriers are real, but so is the opportunity.
JS Morlu Ghana: Localizing Impact Where It Matters
With boots on the ground and brains in the boardroom, JS Morlu Ghana will support the initiative with:
- Financial literacy and bookkeeping training
- Business registration and tax planning
- Audit and compliance guidance
- Border and customs advisory
- Mentorship for scaling and sustainability
And let’s not forget: helping women learn the difference between an income statement and a scam at the border can go a long way.
Targets That Mean Business
This isn’t just talk. The project is shooting for serious outcomes:
- A 50% increase in women using sustainable trade practices
- A 40% boost in participant income levels
- Major reforms through women’s trade policy networks
- Knowledge-sharing across trade, sustainability, and climate action
As women’s groups, civil society, and regional institutions come together, JS Morlu Ghana brings the missing piece—practical execution with local know-how.
This program isn’t charity. It’s strategy. When women traders gain access to capital, skills, and compliance tools, they don’t just survive—they scale. And that’s how economies grow.
With Canada’s capital and JS Morlu’s capacity, the real winners will be the women turning border markets into billion-cedi businesses.
Author: Emmanuel Sogah – Expert in Financial Technology, Operations & Market Strategy
As a senior member of JS Morlu Ghana Limited, Emmanuel Sogah is a key member of the FinovatePro (www.finovatepro.com), Fixaars (www.fixaars.com) and Recksoft (www.recksoft.com) development teams, where he provides data-driven marketing insights that fuel strategic growth and innovation. With a strong background in accounting and finance, he possesses deep expertise in the economic, financial, and regulatory landscape of Ghana and Africa, ensuring that our solutions align with evolving business and market needs.
His ability to analyze financial ecosystems and translate insights into actionable strategies makes him a valuable asset in driving financial innovation and market expansion. By bridging financial technology, market trends, and enterprise solutions, Emmanuel helps shape scalable, cutting-edge products. For inquiries or collaborations, he can be reached at sogah.emmanuel@jsmorlu.com or +233 244 197 841.