USAID West Africa Trade Hub Director, Vanessa Adams steps down
On August 1, 2012, Vanessa Adams will leave the helm of affairs as the Director of the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, the project’s official website announced July 22, 2012.
Ms Adams joined the Trade Hub as a consultant and became its director in 2009.
“It’s been an amazing experience and we’ve done some great work,” said Adams, according to the website.
“I’m just very thankful to have had such excellent people to work with at the project and with our partners across West Africa,” she added.
The Trade Hub has however appointed Byron Battle at its new director.
“The USAID Trade Hub will continue under its current guise until March 2013—under the guidance of incoming director Byron Battle,” the website said.
Byron Battle is a former Chief of Party on a USAID project and, more recently, U.S. Peace Corps Director in Mali and Mexico.
“For me, personally and professionally, it’s a pleasure to return to West Africa after my years of experience in Mali, Benin, Guinea and Gabon,” Battle said.
“I look forward to taking over the leadership of the USAID West Africa Trade Hub,” she stated.
Officials say Adams’ impact at the USAID Trade Hub—and indeed across the business world in West Africa and the sectors the Trade Hub works in—are remarkable. Under her leadership, the USAID Trade Hub exceeded by multiples all of its targets.
“Certainly, skeptics may say the West Africa Trade Hub rode a wave of increased trade across Africa,” said Brinton Bohling of USAID West Africa, which funds and oversees the USAID Trade Hub.
Over the last five years the USAID Trade Hub has strengthened the competitiveness of export-ready firms in five product categories with associated industry brands: apparel, cashew, home décor & fashion accessories, shea, and specialty foods through linkages to overseas markets.
In concrete terms the USAID Trade Hub has facilitated over $194 million in exports from Trade Hub-assisted firms as well as over $5 million in regional trade, and over $53 million in investments.
The Hub has provided technical assistance and expert consulting to over 3,400 export-ready companies across the region and training to more than 10,000 people in sector-specific workshops on production and quality management, standards and certifications, financial planning and analysis, sales management and export logistics.
By Ekow Quandzie