Ghana and Rwanda have signed a deal to build a chocolate production in Rwanda.
The move follows a week-long business trip to Ghana by a delegation of Rwandan officials and business operations from different sectors.
“Both Rwanda and Ghana committed to forging joint partnerships in tourism and trade to enhance exchange of best practices and capacity building,” said Chief Tourism Officer, Rwanda Development Board, Belise Kariza.
As part of the deal, Ghana will supply processed organic cocoa in the form of cocoa nibs or cocoa liquor.
In March, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo told Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga that Ghana would no longer export cocoa to Switzerland during a state visit to Bern.
President Akufo-Addo declared that he was eager to push Ghana to become a major player in the global marketplace.
Ghana is the second-largest supplier of cocoa in the world, making up nearly 30% of the global supply. The product is considered to be the country’s largest earner.
“There can be no future prosperity for the Ghanaian people in the short, medium, or long term if we continue to maintain economic structures that are dependent on the production and export of raw materials,” he said.
And it’s not just cocoa on the table for the two African countries.
Rwanda is currently the second-largest producer of pyrethrum globally. The country has also agreed to establish a formulation plant in Ghana to produce organic pyrethrum-based pesticides for crop protection, veterinary use and public health.
The new partnership is in congruence with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement to boost intra-African trade by 52 percent by 2022.
