The Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE) has introduced a new National Business Agenda (NBA) aimed at reforming the country’s entrepreneurial environment to better support youth and women-led enterprises.

The initiative, unveiled in Accra, represents a rare collaboration between government agencies, business associations, civil society, and international development partners.

Developed by the GCYE with technical assistance from the Investment Climate Reform (ICR) Facility, the NBA is the product of months of nationwide consultations and research. It seeks to dismantle longstanding structural barriers facing youth and women entrepreneurs across Ghana.

According to the GCYE, the NBA is anchored in a detailed national gap analysis and informed by the voices of over 100 entrepreneurs and 60 ecosystem stakeholders. The document identifies five key reform pillars: policy and regulation, access to finance, market access, infrastructure and digitalization, and enterprise support systems.

According to Chief Executive of GCYE, Sherif Ghali “This is not a wish list. It is a well-researched, action-focused blueprint that captures what young and women entrepreneurs have consistently called for.”

Chief Executive of the Ghana Enterprise Agency, Margaret Magoo (GEA), ceremonially launched the NBA, officially ushering in a new era of public–private cooperation in entrepreneurship policy reform.

“This is more than a document, it’s a tool to accelerate inclusion, expand opportunities, and guide national enterprise support. The GEA is committed to supporting the implementation of this agenda, especially in underserved regions where entrepreneurship is the strongest pathway to prosperity,” she said.

The agenda proposes tangible policy recommendations to address constraints such as limited credit access, gender disparities in procurement, weak incubation infrastructure, and outdated regulatory frameworks.

A core feature of the National Business Agenda is the establishment of a new Public–Private Dialogue (PPD) platform, which will convene government agencies, private sector players, and youth-led organizations on a regular basis to assess progress, recommend reforms, and ensure transparency.

Analysts say the platform could prove critical to overcoming the implementation gap that has historically hindered well-intentioned economic initiatives in Ghana and across West Africa.

The launch was attended by senior officials from the European Union Delegation to Ghana, Ministry of Finance, British Council, National Youth Authority (NYA), Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), and National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Microfinance and Small Loans Centre – Masloc, Association Ghana Industries (AGI), Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), all of whom expressed strong support for the initiative.