USAID’s Feed the Future West Africa Trade and Investment Hub Work Plan

The facility will co-invest with the private sector to achieve large-scale increases in exports, sales, jobs, and investment across the region. In Nigeria, the Trade Hub will partner with research institutions to invest in productive and innovative technologies that are needed to improve quality and quantity of agricultural products to meet domestic and export market demand. The Trade Hub design and implementation plan reflects and responds to several recent USAID and USG initiatives, including increasing bilateral trade and investment flows between the United States and Africa under Prosper Africa and increasing economic opportunities for women via the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP). The Trade Hub includes a $60M Private Sector Competitiveness Activity Fund (the Fund) to incentivize private sector investments into activities with large-scale development impacts. The Fund requires private-sector partners to bring significant funding to the table to be eligible for USAID grants, allowing companies and investors to identify their own business and development challenges and the solutions best able to address them. Partnerships that can engage U.S. firms and investors or support increased utilization of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) will be prioritized, as will partnerships with inclusion of women and youth. The second objective of the Trade Hub is to provide limited and targeted technical assistance (TA) to meet specific needs that emerge as the project proceeds but not met by the Fund award program. This will include specific services to support companies in understanding and meeting U.S. regulatory requirements, as well as other technical assistance needs that may arise. The Trade Hub will operate in several countries across West Africa, including Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Senegal. In each country, the Trade Hub will work with local partners to identify and support commercial opportunities that have the potential to generate investment and jobs. The Trade Hub will also work to build the capacity of local businesses and institutions, providing training and technical assistance to help them better compete in the global market. The Trade Hub's approach is designed to be flexible and responsive to the needs of the private sector, allowing companies and investors to identify their own business and development challenges and the solutions best able to address them. The Trade Hub will also work closely with other USAID and USG initiatives, including Prosper Africa and W-GDP, to leverage resources and expertise and maximize impact. The Trade Hub's performance targets and reporting requirements are designed to ensure that the activity is meeting its objectives and making progress towards its goals. The Trade Hub will be required to report regularly on its progress, including on the number of jobs created, the amount of investment attracted, and the number of businesses supported. The Trade Hub will also be required to provide regular updates on its activities and achievements, including through quarterly reports and annual reviews. The Trade Hub's budget for the first year of the project is $60M, which will be used to support the Private Sector Competitiveness Activity Fund and other activities of the Trade Hub. The budget includes funding for staff salaries, travel, and other operational costs, as well as funding for technical assistance and other activities. The Trade Hub will also be required to manage its budget carefully, ensuring that it is using its resources efficiently and effectively to achieve its objectives.