Ghanaian business statesman Sir Sam E. Jonah has challenged African governments and businesses to tear down barriers to trade and create an environment in which African enterprises can grow, compete and generate the jobs needed to absorb the continent’s expanding working population.

For Sir Sam Jonah, continental integration must move beyond agreements and declarations to tangible changes that make it easier for African businesses to trade with one another.

Sir Sam Jonah, Founder and Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, made the call in Accra when he delivered the keynote address at the GEF Global Business Forum — Ghana Edition, held under the theme, “The World We Help to Create”.

“If we want Africa to buy from Africans, we must learn to kill the borders,” he said.

He also urged African governments and businesses to focus on implementing existing continental initiatives, particularly the African Continental Free Trade Area, saying effective implementation was itself a form of innovation.

“Implementation is the new innovation.”

He said Africa’s economic transformation could not be achieved through government employment alone but would depend largely on the ability of entrepreneurs to build enterprises of scale and attract the capital required to expand them.

“Government cannot employ all its population. No government can. But through enterprises, entrepreneurs can,” he said.

The veteran business executive used the occasion to place enterprise development, access to capital and intra-African trade at the centre of discussions on Africa’s economic future.

Drawing on his extensive experience in African business and international capital markets, including the historic listing of Ashanti Goldfields on the New York Stock Exchange, Sir Sam stressed that businesses aspiring to operate at scale must have access to adequate capital.

“An enterprise of scale needs capital,” Sir Jonah said.

His intervention came at a time when African countries are seeking to translate the opportunities presented by continental economic integration into increased trade, investment, industrial production and employment.

For Sir Sam Jonah, the challenge facing Africa is therefore not simply to discuss its economic potential but to create the conditions that allow African enterprises to realise it.

His call for the removal of barriers to intra-African trade, coupled with his emphasis on capital and enterprise development, placed the private sector firmly at the centre of the continent’s economic transformation agenda.

The veteran business leader further called on Ghana’s business community, investors and public officials to participate actively in the 2026 Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF), scheduled for Cairo, Egypt, from November 6 to 8.

He urged Ghanaian participants to go beyond attendance and use the international gathering to showcase the country’s enterprises, innovations and investment opportunities.

From Accra to Cairo

The GEF Global Business Forum — Ghana Edition brought together business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, diplomats and institutional leaders in Accra to explore opportunities in trade, investment, enterprise development and cross-border partnerships.

The Forum formed part of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival’s wider international engagement series and was designed to connect businesses with investors, markets and decision-makers.

It also created opportunities for entrepreneurs who might otherwise have been unable to attend the Cairo festival, with participants and supporters making commitments towards sponsored participation, including travel and accommodation.

The initiative was intended to give entrepreneurs access to international networks, potential investors, new markets and opportunities to present their businesses on a global platform.

The Forum’s high-level panel, held under the theme, “Scaling the World We Help to Create: Investment, Enterprise and Partnerships for Africa’s Growth,” brought together Captain Prince Kofi Amoabeng (Rtd.), entrepreneur and Founder of the PK Amoabeng Leadership Foundation; Vivianne Infante, Africa Coverage Director at British International Investment (UK); Nadim Ghanem Jr., CEO of Miniplast; and Alexandra Wester, Founder and Managing Director of Mare & Partners.

The panellists examined the relationship between leadership, capital, enterprise expansion, global competitiveness and strategic partnerships needed to enable African businesses to penetrate larger markets.

Alexandra Wester stressed the need for entrepreneurs to combine ambition with purposeful execution.

“Talent and motivation are not enough. You need strategic action to create desirable results.”

Integrity and the Africa we want

The economic discussions were complemented by calls for integrity, responsible leadership and a stronger sense of purpose in shaping Africa’s future.

Angela Attieh, Founder and CEO of Nguvu Mining Limited, used her impact speech to highlight the importance of personal character and integrity in building the society people desire.

“If we want a world of honesty, we must all practice honesty, even when it costs us ridicule,” she said.

Her message reinforced the Forum’s broader emphasis on the need for economic progress to be matched by responsible leadership, strong values and a commitment to creating opportunities that benefit society.

The Head of the UNESCO Office in Accra and UNESCO Representative to Ghana, H.E. Mr. Edmond Moukala N’Gouemo, also urged participants to move beyond discussions and become active participants in shaping the future.

“We are here to move from being spectators of history to being its architects,” he said.

He added: “The world we hope for will not be created by conversation alone, but by the opportunities we create.”

His remarks linked entrepreneurship and investment to human capital development, social inclusion, access to opportunity and community prosperity, while emphasising the need for stronger partnerships among governments, businesses and institutions.

Egypt deepens economic diplomacy

The international dimension of the gathering was further underlined by the participation of the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Ghana, H.E. Wael Fathy Ahmed.

The Ambassador delivered a keynote address on “Connecting the World We Help to Create: Economic Diplomacy, Trade and Shared Prosperity”.

His participation strengthened the connection between the Ghana edition of the Forum and the forthcoming Global Entrepreneurship Festival in Cairo, which is expected to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, governments and business leaders from across the world.

Samia Yaba Nkrumah, Founder and President of the Kwame Nkrumah Pan-African Centre, urged Africans to remain confident in their identity and purposeful in telling the continent’s story.

“We must not be afraid of giving the message, telling this story, and standing by the truth,” she said.

She called on entrepreneurs, policymakers, media professionals, students and other stakeholders to remain rooted in their identity while contributing to Africa’s development and strengthening the continent’s position in the global community.

Action over applause

Delivering the Forum’s flagship address, Dr. Summy Smart Francis, President and Project Lead of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, challenged participants to redefine success by the opportunities and impact they create for others rather than by personal recognition.

“Because it is not the praise that matters; it is the action that matters,” Dr. Summy said.

The message was subsequently translated into practical support for entrepreneurs, as participants and supporters committed resources to help entrepreneurs overcome financial barriers to attending GEF 2026 in Cairo.

The support included commitments towards travel and accommodation, creating opportunities for selected entrepreneurs to access international networks, engage prospective investors, explore new markets and showcase their enterprises.

Business connections take centre stage

The Forum ended with a high-level business networking session aimed at facilitating introductions, strengthening relationships and opening new avenues for commercial collaboration.

Participants who took part in the networking activities also had the opportunity to win fully sponsored participation in GEF 2026 in Cairo, including event access, travel and accommodation.

The networking component reinforced one of the central messages of the gathering — that meaningful business growth depends not only on ideas and ambition, but also on access to capital, markets, partnerships and decision-makers.

The momentum generated in Accra will now move to Cairo, where the Global Entrepreneurship Festival 2026 is scheduled to take place from November 6 to 8 at the JW Marriott Hotel Cairo, Egypt.

The festival is expected to bring together more than 10,000 entrepreneurs, investors, government representatives, business leaders and ecosystem stakeholders from around the world under the theme, “The World We Help to Create”.

The event will provide opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses to connect with capital, investors, international markets and strategic partners, while organisations and institutions will have opportunities to participate as partners, sponsors, investors, exhibitors and delegates.