Formalization of women led businesses and entrepreneurship is the pillar to ensure that the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement becomes successful.  

To this end, Chief Executive of the Ghana Enterprise Agency, Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, is calling on African leaders and private sector players to sponsor regulations that seek to support women businesses on the continent.

She was speaking at a capacity building workshop for women traders in the ECOWAS sub region.

The Continental Free Trade Agreement is said to benefit women the more since the continent has a higher number of women traders and businesses.

Even before the protocol on women in trade will be concluded, Ghana is making efforts to get many women led businesses and entrepreneurs to become successful under the deal.

According to the Chief Executive for the Ghana Enterprise Agency, Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, private sector players have a role to play in supporting women entrepreneurs.

“I therefore urge all governments, private sector and development partners to support women businesses and entrepreneurs by enacting regulations to make them successful” she said.

The event by the United Nations Development Program and ECOWAS Trade Commission aims to guide participants on market entry into the free trade area.

The United Nations Development Programme has expressed interest in ensuring that the deal becomes a development platform for the continent as well as transforming micro and small businesses.

Economic Advisor for UNDP in Ghana, Frederick Mugisha said Ghana is ahead of its peers on the continent since it is hosting the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade.