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Ernest Twum Barima makes coconut husk, plastic waste valuable
Realising the extent of waste pollution in his vicinity and the country at large, he thought of alternative ways to make good use the situation. He ended up creating a job for himself and a few others.
Here is Mr Ernest Twum Barima, the young university graduate, whose company produces smokeless and long-lasting charcoal briquettes from coconut husk.
The product, targeted at households and institutions, continues to earn positive review and commendation as the manufacturer intends to scale up production to meet local and international demand.
Business
Ernest is a graduate of Koforidua Technical University (KTU) and Valley View University. He studied Purchasing and Supply at KTU before proceeding to Valley View where he obtained Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) and Information Technology in Education Management.
He conceived the business idea while studying at Valley View University and decided to roll it out after many attempts to secure a job.
Throughout his educational journey, he had dreamt of establishing his own company and it is, therefore, not surprising that he has surmounted the hurdle.
Currently based at Kyebi-Afiesa in the Eastern Region, the venture known as Adepafie Market Company Limited, began when he procured and distributed 100 pieces of waste bins to encourage responsible waste disposal.
As time went by, he noticed the volume of waste generated daily by coconut vendors in his area and decided to conduct studies into unconventional uses of the discarded coconut husk.
“After I discovered other uses of the coconut husk, I gave empty sacks to the coconut sellers and asked them to offload the husks at my house at the end of every business day.
“My family initially could not come to terms with why I was turning our house into a dumpsite for coconut husk and even thought I had lost my mind,” he told The Spectator.
Unperturbed by these unsavoury comments, however, Ernest kept fine-tuning his idea until 2019, when he produced the first batch of charcoal briquettes to be used at home.
Community members, impressed with the outcome, subsequently encouraged him to start producing for commercial use.
Challenges
According to the initiator, steps towards commercialisation was challenging as he sought financial and technical assistance from some private entities but they failed to deliver on their promise after series of engagement with them.
Undauntedly, he relied on personal savings and the support of family and friends to get his idea off the ground. And with barely a year into his business, he has employed six people who are supporting him presently.
Apart from making charcoal briquettes, Ernest again recycles plastic waste into pavement bricks which, he said, could be a substitute for concrete blocks used in road construction.
Production process
Explaining the making of the charcoal briquettes, he said “the coconut husk is allowed to dry and later burnt and crushed into powder. The powder is then compacted with an organic binder, extruded and moulded into desired shapes and finally left to harden.”
He said he used to go through these processes manually but had now been able to build a makeshift machine which enables him to produce faster.
“I could produce only two bags of charcoal briquette in three days when there was no machine, but I am now able to produce about 10 bags in a day. The quality has improved and it is currently in high demand,” he said.
The charcoal briquette is packed in paper bags, made from plantain stem, and sold at GH 3.00 per Kilo.
The Chief Executive Officer says he has intended to reduce the price in future and has encouraged traditional charcoal producers to adopt his approach and stop cutting trees for charcoal production.
Future
In spite of the progress made, Ernest continues to fall on the support of family and friends to fund his operations.
“I could not meet the requests of my clients previously but I can now meet their need within a month with the little machine I use at the moment.
“I receive a lot of orders from across the country and if I get the needed support to expand production I know things would get better,” he noted.
The mini factory for the charcoal briquette, he said, was situated on a piece of family land, and he would require modern machines and vehicles to convey raw materials to help speed up production.
Although the company makes some profit, Ernest says the income generated goes into repayment of loans he has secured from family and friends.
With the required support, he intends to set up a bigger factory in Accra and Kumasi and employ more youth, should he get the needed support.
By Ernest Nutsugah
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
