Ghanaian businesses and entrepreneurs have been connected with investors, markets and international business leaders at the GEF Global Business Forum – Ghana Edition in Accra.

The forum was held on August 28, 2026, at the La-Palm Royal Beach Hotel under the theme, “The World We Help to Create.”

It brought together business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, diplomats and institutional leaders to discuss trade, investment, enterprise growth and cross-border partnerships.

Delivering the keynote address, “Building the World We Help to Create: Africa, Trade, Investment and Shared Prosperity,” Founder and Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, Sir Sam E. Jonah, stressed the importance of capital and enterprise development to Africa’s economic future.

“An enterprise of scale needs capital,” he said.

Sir Sam also said governments could not create enough public-sector jobs to absorb Africa’s growing working-age population.

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

On African economic integration, he called for the removal of barriers to intra-African trade.

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

He also called for the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, saying: “Implementation is the new innovation.”

Sir Sam urged Ghana’s business community, investors and public officials to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF) 2026, which will be held in Cairo, Egypt, from November 6 to 8.

He encouraged them to participate as ambassadors for Ghanaian enterprises, innovations and investment opportunities.

The forum also featured a high-level panel on “Scaling the World We Help to Create: Investment, Enterprise and Partnerships for Africa’s Growth.”

The panel included Captain Prince Kofi Amoabeng (Rtd.), Founder of the PK Amoabeng Leadership Foundation; Vivianne Infante, Africa Coverage Director at British International Investment; Nadim Ghanem Jr., CEO of Miniplast; and Alexandra Wester, Founder and Managing Director of Mare & Partners.

Ms Wester stressed the need for entrepreneurs to combine ambition with action.

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

Founder and CEO of Nguvu Mining Limited, Angela Attieh, spoke about integrity, character and leadership.

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

The Head of the UNESCO Office in Accra and UNESCO Representative to Ghana, H.E. Edmond Moukala N’Gouemo, urged participants to move beyond discussion and take action.

“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.”

The Ambassador of Egypt to Ghana, H.E. Wael Fathy Ahmed, also delivered a keynote address on “Connecting the World We Help to Create: Economic Diplomacy, Trade and Shared Prosperity.”

Founder and President of the Kwame Nkrumah Pan-African Centre, Hon. Samia Yaba Nkrumah, called for 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.

President and Project Lead of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, Dr Summy Smart Francis, said success should be measured by the opportunities and impact created for others.

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

The forum also included an entrepreneur-support initiative through which participants and supporters made commitments to help entrepreneurs who might otherwise be unable to attend GEF 2026 in Cairo.

The commitments included support for travel and accommodation and were intended to provide entrepreneurs with access to international networks, investors, markets and opportunities to showcase their businesses.

A business networking session was held at the close of the forum. Participants who engaged in the networking activities also won fully sponsored participation in GEF 2026 in Cairo, including event access, travel and accommodation.

The organisers said the Ghana forum created opportunities for continued relationships and partnerships among businesses, investors, government, diplomats and entrepreneurs.

The momentum now moves to Cairo, where more than 10,000 entrepreneurs, investors, government representatives, business leaders and ecosystem stakeholders are expected to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Festival from November 6 to 8, 2026.

The festival will provide opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses to connect with capital, investors, international markets and strategic partners, as well as gain global visibility.

The festival will be held at the JW Marriott Hotel Cairo, Egypt, under the same theme, “The World We Help to Create.”