Vice Chancellor of Methodist University Ghana (MUG), Prof. William Baah Boateng, has underscored the need for a stronger governance framework to guide public-private partnerships (PPPs) to underpin the country’s sustainable development agenda.

Speaking at the 10^th Ghana Corporate Executives Awards, held over the weekend at the plush Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, he said an effective public private collaborations have the potential to become “vehicles for trust, efficiency, and sustainable impact” when properly structured and monitored.

According to him, a mutually beneficial collaboration among the public sector, private businesses, and academia must be rooted in accountability and shared purpose to deliver transformative outcomes.

“Public private partnerships facilitate infrastructure development and service provision without relying solely on public budgets. A working PPP will promote job creation, technology transfer, and sustainable development,” he emphasized.

Prof. Boateng indicated that while the private sector provides efficiency and innovation, the public sector ensures legitimacy and protects the public interest hence a strong alliance between the two sectors to create lasting public value when guided by robust governance.

Ghana’s infrastructure quality score currently stands at 47 out of 100—about 10 points below the average for lower-middle-income countries, and invests roughly 5percent of GDP in infrastructure, slightly below peers who average 5.4percent.

The Ghana Corporate Executives Awards is an initiative of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana (EFG) to spotlight and recognize Ghana’s leading corporate executives who have made significant impact and lasting imprints in the corporate world.

This year’s award honoured corporate executives who have built a lasting legacy, demonstrated strong entrepreneurial and corporate leadership with sustained business performance, integrity and vision over the last decade

Also speaking at the event, policy consultant and professor of strategy at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Kwaku Appiah-Adu, said national transformation in the 21st century requires a symbiotic relationship between the public and private sectors.

He described PPPs as an indispensable instrument in modern governance, allowing governments to harness private creativity, efficiency, and capital while maintaining regulatory oversight and development planning.

“No government, however visionary, can single-handedly deliver inclusive development. While the private sector thrives in environments that provide policy clarity and stability, the public sector equally depends on private dynamism to drive innovation and growth,” he said.

About 20 corporate executives received the “Most Influential Corporate Leader of the Decade Award” including investment banker and former Director-General of SSNIT, Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang; Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, former executive secretary of the National Identification Authority; Dr. Fareed Arthur, executive director of Intra-Africa Trade Capacity Centre and former National AfCFTA Secretariat Coordinator; Mr. Frederick Adotey Saka, chief executive officer of Vanguard Assurance Company Ltd; Dr. Edward Nartey Botchway, managing director of Absa Bank Ghana; and Mr. Sylvester Adinam Mensah, chief executive officer of Ghana Exim Bank.

Other award recipients were: Mr. Julius Neequaye Kotey, chief executive officer of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority; Dr. Toni Aubynn, chief executive officer, Petroleum Hub Development Corporation; Dr. Philip Oti-Mensah, managing director of UMB Bank Ghana; Chief Dr. Doliwura Zakaria, managing director of National Investment Bank Plc.; Mr. James Agyenim Boateng, managing director, SIC Insurance Plc; and Mr. Adedamola Adelabu, chief executive officer of CFAO Mobility Ghana Plc.

The rest were: Madam Fatima Alimohammed, Chief Executive Officer of African Brand Warrior Ltd; Mr. Andrew Akoto, country managing partner, KPMG; Mr. Victor Yaw Asante, managing director of FirstBank Ghana; Mr. Uzoechina Molokwu, managing director of UBA Ghana; Dr. Alexander Asmah, chief executive officer of Amenfiman Rural Bank Plc.; Mr. Michael Abbiw, chief executive officer of MGA Consulting Ghana Ltd.; and Mr. Solomon Lartey, chief executive officer of Africa Sureties and Insurance Advisory Company.

Policy and management consultant and professor of strategy at GIMPA and former senior policy advisor at the Vice President’s Secretariat, Prof. Kwaku Appiah-Adu was honoured with the “Lifetime Achievement Award 2025”.