Ghana took a prominent place in the global business and entrepreneurship conversation as the GEF Global Business Forum Ghana Edition convened business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, diplomats and institutional leaders in Accra to advance trade, investment, enterprise growth and cross-border partnerships.

Held under the theme "The World We Help to Create," the Forum moved beyond dialogue to practical engagement, connecting businesses with investors, markets and decision-makers while generating commitments to support entrepreneurs with access to global opportunities, including sponsored participation, travel and accommodation to the Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF) 2026 in Cairo, Egypt, from 6-8 November 2026.

The Ghana Edition formed part of GEF's wider global engagement series and provided a strategic platform for positioning Ghanaian businesses, entrepreneurs, innovations and investment opportunities within an expanding international network of investors, governments, institutions and business leaders.

Delivering the keynote address, "Building the World We Help to Create: Africa, Trade, Investment and Shared Prosperity," Sir Sam E. Jonah, Founder and Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, placed enterprise development, intra-African trade and investment at the centre of Africa's economic future. Drawing on decades of experience in African business and international capital markets, including the historic listing of Ashanti Goldfields on the New York Stock Exchange, he emphasized the critical relationship between enterprise, capital and economic scale.

"An enterprise of scale needs capital," Sir Jonah said. He also challenged the assumption that governments can absorb Africa's growing working-age population through public employment.

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

Turning to African economic integration, Sir Sam called for the removal of barriers inhibiting intra-African trade and challenged governments and businesses to translate continental agreements into practical economic outcomes.

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

Addressing the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the need to improve competitiveness and mobility across African markets, he declared: "Implementation is the new innovation."

Sir Sam concluded by calling on Ghana's business community, investors and public officials to join him in GEF 2026 in Cairo, Egypt to participate actively not simply as observers, but as ambassadors of Ghana's enterprises, innovations and investment opportunities.

The Forum's High-Level Panel, themed "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 discussion examined the connections between leadership, capital, enterprise growth, global competitiveness and the partnerships required to enable businesses to enter larger markets.

Alexandra Wester emphasized the importance of combining ambition with deliberate execution, stating: "Talent and motivation are not enough. You need strategic action to create desirable results."

Angela Attieh, Founder and CEO of Nguvu Mining Limited, delivered an impact speech centred on integrity, character and the responsibility of individuals and leaders to model the society they want to build.

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

Her intervention reinforced the Forum's wider message that sustainable economic progress must be accompanied by purposeful leadership, responsibility and strong values.

H.E. Mr. Edmond Moukala N'Gouemo, Head of the UNESCO Office in Accra and UNESCO Representative to Ghana, challenged participants to move from observation and conversation to concrete action.

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

He further emphasized: "The world we hope for will not be created by conversation alone, but by the opportunities we create."

His remarks connected entrepreneurship and investment with human capital, social inclusion, access to opportunity and community prosperity, while calling for stronger collaboration among governments, businesses and institutions.

H.E. Wael Fathy Ahmed, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Ghana, delivered a keynote address on "Connecting the World We Help to Create: Economic Diplomacy, Trade and Shared Prosperity." His participation reinforced the Forum's international character and the growing connection between the Ghana Edition and the upcoming Global Entrepreneurship Festival in Cairo.

Hon. Samia Yaba Nkrumah, Founder and President of the Kwame Nkrumah Pan-African Centre, emphasized truth, identity and clarity of purpose in shaping Africa's future.

"We must not be afraid of giving the message, telling this story, and standing by the truth," she said, calling on entrepreneurs, policymakers, media professionals, students and other stakeholders to remain grounded in their identity while contributing to Africa's progress and global positioning.

Delivering the Forum's flagship address, Dr. Summy Smart Francis, President and Project Lead of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, challenged participants to measure success not merely by recognition or personal achievement, but by the opportunities and impact they create for others.

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

His message reinforced GEF's wider purpose of building an entrepreneurship ecosystem where access, opportunity, investment and impact translate into measurable outcomes.

That message translated into action during an entrepreneur-support initiative at the Forum. Participants and supporters made significant commitments towards enabling entrepreneurs who might otherwise face financial barriers to participate in GEF 2026 in Cairo, including support for travel and accommodation.

The commitments created pathways for entrepreneurs to enter international networks, engage investors, explore new markets and showcase their enterprises on a global platform.

The Forum concluded with a high-level business networking session designed to facilitate introductions, relationship-building and new business connections. Participants who engaged in the networking activities also won fully sponsored participation to GEF 2026 in Cairo, including event access, travel and accommodation.

The GEF Global Business Forum - Ghana Edition demonstrated the power of intentionally connecting business, investment, government, diplomacy and entrepreneurship around a shared agenda. More than a conversation about the future, the Forum created a platform for relationships, commitments and opportunities designed to continue beyond the event.

The momentum now moves from Accra to Cairo, where the Global Entrepreneurship Festival 2026 will convene over 10,000 entrepreneurs, investors, governments, business leaders and ecosystem stakeholders from around the world from 6-8 November 2026, under the theme "The World We Help to Create."

The Festival will provide entrepreneurs and businesses with pathways to capital, investors, international markets, strategic partnerships and global visibility, while creating opportunities for organisations and institutions to participate as partners, sponsors, investors, exhibitors and delegates.

From Accra to Cairo, the message is clear: Africa's future will not be shaped by observation alone. It will be shaped by the enterprises built, the investments made, the partnerships forged and the opportunities created.

The Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF) is the biggest entrepreneurship event designed to connect entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, business leaders and ecosystem stakeholders around enterprise growth, investment, innovation, market access and strategic partnerships.

The 2026 Global Entrepreneurship Festival will take place at the JW Marriott Hotel Cairo, Egypt, from 6-8 November 2026.