By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, Aug 5, GNA – Gromal Investment and Industries Limited, a Ho-based business venture has outdoored its newest product, the ‘Gromal Delight,’ which is a delicious peanut and rice snack, locally known as ‘Dzowoe in Ewe or Darkwa in Twi.’
Reverend Edwin Mawuli Azariah, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said the idea was birthed in a divine revelation, which compelled the family to research around the product and “the result is what we see today.”
He said the snack was made from purely organic ingredients making it a healthy product to maintain body shape at the same time satisfying nutritional requirements.
He said the snack was approved by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and attempts were being concluded to have it registered also by the American FDA to ensure export.
Rev Zariah, also Pastor of Remnants Worship Centre, Ho, envisaged the product to become a household commodity in Ghana and expand into Africa taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
He said entrepreneurship or small-scale enterprises held the key for solving the unemployment challenges in the country if the youth could be guided to venture into self-employment rather than chasing non-existent white colour jobs.
He enumerated the many opportunities in the region, saying what was missing was direction and financial push for the youth to embrace such advantages, which he believed would take them away from get-rich-quick attitudes and refraining from the emerging craze of gambling and betting syndrome.
He envisaged the business could employ some 2,000 youth in the value-chain of production when fully operational and thanked Togbe Adzimah IV, Atamfia of Asogli State, partners, his wife, mother, and others for their unflinching support.
Madam Doris Ama Bansah, Senior Export Development Officer of Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) in the Volta region, said a total of US$3.9 billion was realised by the non-traditional export (NTE) sector in 2023 with the Volta region contributing its quota.
She said more than 400 NTE products were exported to the world with more than 200 businesses contacting the Regional Office on various issues, including enquiries, upscaling of products, and registration.
She disclosed that there were many SME opportunities across the region’s productive sector, saying the youth could explore the sector as a beginner or add value to a product to own the franchise for business.
Madam Bansah advised entrepreneurs to expand their products or businesses by forming partnerships to give them the mileage to break the many frontiers in the era of AfCFTA.
She said the eligibility criteria for company registration were to produce NTE products, be legally registered, operate for five years, be considered a SME as defined by Ghana Enterprises Agency and have between three and 250 employees.
Togbe Anikpi, Divisional Chief of Ho-Ahoe and Board Chairman of Gromal Delight Investments, said traditional delicacies like “Dzowoe/Darkwa,” which has been rebranded with nutritional value additions could compete with other candies available on the market.
He said the packaging left the product with aesthetic value believing that the product would soon become a continental snack in the next few years.
Togbe Adzimah IV, Atamfia of Asogli State and an entrepreneur acknowledged how remote dreams and ideas had blossomed into present day giants, multinational institutions, and conglomerates, which is a starting point for Gromal ventures.
He said he remembered the birth of the venture and the support he had added for the dream to succeed and praised Rev Azariah for sustaining the focus and prayed that equipment for the business were landed in earnest.
He said with determination, drive, and passion to succeed, the sky would no longer be the limit and pledged continuous support to the venture.
Prophet Joseph Tsetse, a representative of Adonai Estate Limited, who presided, said little beginnings should not be despised, saying it is greatness in incubation.
First three boxes of Gromal Delight snacks were bought for GHC1,000 and GHC500.
GNA