Ghanaian businesses, entrepreneurs and creatives are being urged to seize major trade and investment opportunities at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow through the Africa Town Pavilion, a Pan-African commercial and cultural hub expected to attract more than 2.5 million visitors.

The call was made by Gideon Amponsa Okai, In-Country Director of INGO – Third Sector Resource UK, who says the initiative could position Ghanaian brands before a global audience during the Games, scheduled for July 22 to August 2, 2026.

According to him, the Commonwealth Games will be more than a sporting event, with business, culture, and trade expected to generate significant economic activity alongside the competition.

“The Commonwealth Games is going to bring about 2.5 million people to one place. That’s the opportunity. The cultural, business, and trade opportunities are huge,” Mr Okai said.

He explained that INGO – Third Sector Resource UK has been given the exclusive mandate to manage the Africa Town Pavilion, which will bring together 21 African Commonwealth countries under one roof for the first time in the history of the Games.

The pavilion is expected to feature dedicated national spaces such as Ghana House, Nigeria House, Botswana House, South Africa House and Sierra Leone House.

Mr Okai said the concept is aimed at creating a unified African marketplace where countries can showcase products, promote tourism, attract investors and build commercial partnerships.

For Ghana, he said the opportunities cut across several sectors including agribusiness, manufacturing, real estate, tourism, fashion and the creative economy.

He highlighted products such as Kente, fugu, locally made fabrics, coffee and Ghanaian cuisine including jollof rice and waakye as export-ready offerings that could gain international attention.

“This is the time that Ghana will have to package our food and sell it to the rest of the world,” he stated.

He added that Ghana’s improving economic outlook could also help attract foreign investors looking for opportunities in the country.

The initiative, he noted, aligns with Ghana’s broader economic agenda, including efforts to expand exports under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and create jobs through the government’s proposed 24-hour economy policy.

Mr Okai further disclosed that the British High Commission in Ghana has entered into a partnership agreement with the organisation to facilitate meetings between UK-based businesses and Ghanaian enterprises during the Games.

He cautioned interested businesses to deal only with INGO – Third Sector Resource UK, saying it is the sole accredited agency for participation in the Africa Town Pavilion.

With just 3 months to the Games, organisers believe the pavilion could become a major launchpad for Ghanaian brands on the global stage.

“For the first time, African countries will be stronger and more powerful under one roof,” he said.

In Ghana, the event is being coordinated through a collaboration between the Creative Arts Agency, the National Commission on Culture, and INGO’s Accra office.

So far, eight countries have signed up: Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Zambia, and the UAE.