By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Takoradi, April 01, GNA – Ms Patricia Opoku Diaba, Chief Executive Officer of the of Plot Enterprise, a cocoa processing company in the Western Region, has been selected as a great woman icon for the Region.
Ms Opoku Diaba, who founded Plot Enterprise in 2010, has braced the storm in her chosen field and excelled in many dimensions by adding lots of value to raw cocoa before export.
Dr Afua Asabea Asare, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), speaking at the Western Regional Edition of the Women Icons project and Exhibition, said women led enterprises needed to be supported to excel more to advance the growth of families and the nation.
The project, a partnership between Access Bank and the GEPA seeks to identify many businesses owned by women to be given the needed financial and technical support to achieve best results.
She said with AFCFTA initiatives and other global emerging markets, there was the need to pool the largest untapped talents in women to shore up opportunities and benefits for economic gain.
Dr Asare said there was always a deliberate effort to level up the playing field in the world of business, adding the regional exhibitions among other platforms would create awareness for the many wonderful products being created by women, for families, households, and workspaces, provide market exposure for those products and to Ghanaians and beyond, through the power of technology and social media.
“We want to consequently increase exports and to encourage export substitution of products proudly made in Ghana to increase our reliance on made in Ghana to the end and decrease our reliance on foreign products,” Dr Asare added.
The CEO of GEPA praised Ms Opoku Diaba saying, “you are credited with laying the foundations for the respected Plot Enterprise with a vision to be the country’s leading cocoa processing and export company recognised for the distinctively high-quality products.”
The company has won the admiration of many international food certification bodies, including the International Standards Organisation rating.
Nana Kobena Nketsia V Nketsia V, Omanhene of the Essikado traditional who presided over the programme, said women have been part of the liberation struggle and the ultimate independence of the Country and inspired them to shine.
Responding, Ms Opoku Diaba said women were capable and called for massive support to everyone engaged in any form of economic activity to uplift her home and society.
Plot Enterprises manufacture natural and alkalised cocoa liquor, natural cocoa butter, natural and alkalised cocoa cake and natural cocoa powder from Ghana Cocoa.
PLOT is fully aware of quality and has worked diligently towards obtaining international certifications, which include: FSSC 22000, OK Kosher, HALAL, ORGANIC, and RAINFOREST.
The facility is also Rainforest Alliance Approved.
GNA