Flag of Namibia
Coat of Arms of Namibia
Michael A. Griffin
Honorary Consul
Republic of Namibia
1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200
Wilmington, DE 19801
800.295.9790
Namibiaconsul_de@ashantiproduce.com
About
Michael A. Griffin is Chief Executive Officer of Ashanti Product International, Incorporated and serves as the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Namibia in Delaware.
Ashanti Produce International Inc. (“API”) is an international import-export trading company founded in Chicago in 1994 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware with offices in Camden, New Jersey and Accra, Ghana.
API manages all aspects of import and export trading including product development in agricultural technologies, logistics, and supply distribution. Mr. Griffin is the founder of the African Caribbean Produce Union (ACPU), which links farmer cooperatives with West African and Caribbean Agribusiness Groups. His “Reclaim the Grain” initiative is focused on increasing rice yields to ensure food security and sustainability in Africa.
Mr. Griffin is also a board member of World Trade Center Delaware where he draws on his extensive experience in international trade to foster economic and developmental growth in Africa. Mr. Griffin works hands on bridging the gap between the United States and Africa creating opportunities on both continents. Through the Business Council for International Understanding (BCUI), USAID, OPIC, and various African Diaspora programs, Mr. Griffin focuses on revolutionizing the $500 billion Agricultural industry.
Mr. Griffin has long been an outspoken advocate for doing business in Africa and is passionate about Africa competing in the global economy. In addition to his impressive business achievements, Mr. Griffin has the distinction of being the first African American to acquire USDA Organic Certification for the Ashanti green pineapple and import it from Ghana to the United States, where it was carried in Safeway Stores, Dominick’s (Chicago), and southeastern region for Whole Foods Market. Mr. Griffin was awarded entrepreneur of the year in 2019 by the Young Caribbean Professional Network, and winner of the 2012 African Diaspora Marketplace for USAID in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Griffin is also an accomplished educator and speaker in his field. His keynote appearances include speaking at President Obama’s 47 Heads of State at the White House on African Agriculture, as well as graduate level international trade programs at George Washington University, Temple University, Cheney University, and The West Africa Infrastructure and Construction Summit in Ghana on 2012. His work has been featured in articles in various publications throughout the United States and West Africa. Mr. Griffin is the co-Host of radio talk show, Africa Matters at 96.1 FM on WURD in Philadelphia PA.
A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Mr. Griffin played professional basketball in Ecuador and Peru, where he first became exposed to international trade. He has three children and resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife, Tamika McKoy, Esquire.