The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has launched the Accra Trade House and a monthly Friday Market as part of a broader push to expand market access for local businesses, with the maiden Ghana Export and SME Fair (GEXPO) set to follow in November.
The Accra Trade House, commissioned on Friday, October 23, will serve as a central aggregation and holding centre for products destined for Ghana’s trade houses in Nairobi, Philadelphia and London, while supporting plans to establish additional trade houses in strategic export markets in Europe.
Speaking at the launch, GEPA Chief Executive Officer Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur said the facility would provide a permanent marketplace that complements trade fairs, buyer-seller engagements and international market entry programmes.
“The Accra Trade House provides a permanent marketplace that complements our trade fairs, buyer-seller engagement and international market entry programmes,” he said.
Friday Market to Connect Producers with Buyers
The launch coincided with the introduction of a monthly Friday Market at the Accra Trade House, which will operate on the last Friday of every month from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The market will feature products including cocoa derivatives, cashews, bananas, yams, plantains, pineapples, handicrafts and other export-ready goods.
Mr. Arthur said the platform would allow small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to test their products, gather customer feedback, build business connections and strengthen their brands.
The GEPA CEO identified Hamburg in Germany, Palermo in Italy and Amsterdam in the Netherlands as potential locations for additional trade houses as the authority seeks to expand the reach of Ghanaian products.
GEXPO to Host 500 Exhibitors
The initiatives feed into the upcoming GEXPO 2026, scheduled for November 18 to 22 at the Black Star Square in Accra. GEPA has announced it will sponsor at least 500 SMEs to participate in the five-day fair.
The event follows the Ghana Investment Forum on November 16 and 17, and the Ghana Club 100 Awards on November 18. GEXPO is being organised by Accra Markets & Expo Limited in collaboration with GEPA, Ghana Exim Bank, the Federation of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE), the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA).
GEPA Deputy Chief Executive Officer Raymond Rashid Kramer said the fair would feature a broad range of locally made products.
“Everything from the handicraft sector, to the textile sector, to the processed food, the shea butters, the cocoa butters, the oils — it’s basically all around fair, everything made in Ghana,” he said.
Background: Non-Traditional Exports Cross $5bn
The push comes on the back of a milestone in Ghana’s export diversification efforts. In June 2026, GEPA announced that non-traditional exports had exceeded the US$5 billion mark for the first time, recording about 30 per cent growth over the previous year.
Mr. Kramer said the performance provided a strong foundation for attaining Ghana’s target of US800 million, while cashew, shea products, coconut, yam, mango and processed agricultural products also recorded strong performances.
The GEXPO fair is designed to support the government’s Accelerated Export Development Programme, which seeks to transform the economy into an export-led manufacturing hub and reduce dependence on imports. It will prioritise high-growth sectors including agro-processing, textiles and apparel, cosmetics and natural oils, light manufacturing, digital trade and exportable commercial services.
The event will also feature technical sessions led by trade and standards experts covering AfCFTA rules of origin, international packaging standards, phytosanitary requirements and tailored credit facilities through Ghana Exim Bank.
The courtesy call on GEPA was paid by a management delegation from Citi FM and Channel One TV led by Managing Director Samuel Attah-Mensah. The two media houses are also collaborating with GEPA on the 2026 AgriFair, scheduled for November 27 to 29.
