Omanghana
The Sustainable Aquaculture for Women Advancement (SAWA) Program is targeting 60,000 work opportunities for young women in Ghana as it seeks to expand fish production and strengthen women’s participation in the aquaculture industry.
Private sector partners signed agreements to support the initiative at the offices of Agri-Impact Limited in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026.
The four-year program, an initiative of the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited, runs from July 2026 to June 2030. Agri-Impact says it is leading implementation with public and private sector partners.
Opportunities Across the Fish Value Chain
SAWA is aimed at women aged 18 to 35, including 3,000 young women with disabilities. It focuses on the tilapia and catfish value chains, with opportunities expected in fish farming, processing, aggregation, marketing and related services.
The program aims to increase Ghana’s annual domestic fish production by 50,000 metric tones and generate an estimated US$90 million in annual revenue. Organizers say it could also help reduce the country’s reliance on imported fish. These are program targets, rather than results already achieved.
Participants are expected to receive technical training, mentoring and business development support, along with help accessing resources and markets.
The program will support inland fish farming using tanks and ponds, as well as the rehabilitation of existing farms. Partners also plan to improve access to affordable fish feed by supporting the production of inputs such as maize and soybeans.
Agri-Impact Deputy Group Chief Executive Juliana Asante-Dartey said previous aquaculture experience was not required. She added that some participants had already begun training in areas including fish production, hatchery operations, fish smoking and marketing.
Public and Private Partnerships
Organizations supporting SAWA include Newage Agric Solutions, AgroKings, the Fisheries Commission, the Centre for Enterprise Learning, TechnoServe, Aglow Farms, Afrigem Global, Naple Betta and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. PwC Ghana is serving as the program’s institutional strengthening partner.
Agri-Impact Chief Executive Daniel Fahene Acquaye said the partnerships would bring together private investment, infrastructure and expertise to help young women establish and grow businesses across the aquaculture sector.
Source: Omanghana
