Ghana is ramping up efforts to attract small, impact-oriented investors to its Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector, with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) leading reforms and digital innovations to connect investors with high-potential opportunities.

Speaking at a high-level panel discussion during the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues(APD), GIPC Deputy CEO Mr. Abdul-Razak Baba said Ghana is positioning itself as a “magnet for patient capital” and a launchpad for SMEs seeking to scale under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The session, themed “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade,” brought together leading voices in investment, policy, and entrepreneurship to discuss Africa’s $331 billion SME financing gap and to develop actionable strategies for economic integration and wealth creation.

The panel included Ms. Faith Chelangat, AfCFTA Specialist at Anjarwalla & Khanna Advocates; Dr. Jasper Ebiekure Eradiri, CEO of the Association of African SMEs; Mr. Sulley Amin Abubakar, CEO of Zaacoal; Ms. Boatemaa D. Barfour-Awuah, CEO of Star Assurance Ghana; and Dr. Wanida Lewis, Managing Director of Crescendo Foods.

The session was moderated by Ms. Brenda Wagura, International Trade and Investment Legal Advisor.

Mr. Baba highlighted that Ghana’s current investment laws, originally designed to attract large-scale foreign direct investment, have unintentionally excluded smaller, impact-focused investors.

“These laws were well-intentioned,” he said, “but minimum foreign capital thresholds have closed Ghana’s doors to smaller-scale investors who want to back our SMEs.”

He revealed that GIPC is driving reforms to the GIPC Act to eliminate these capital requirements, making it easier for diaspora investors, impact funds, and venture capital firms to invest in Ghanaian SMEs.

“When these reforms pass, they will signal that Ghana is open for inclusive, SME-focused investment.

We expect a wave of patient, impact-oriented capital to flow into Ghana,” Mr. Baba added.

Addressing the challenge of scarce funding, Mr. Baba noted that many investors struggle to find “bankable deals.”

He stressed the need for a harmonised African digital investment facilitation platform to showcase opportunities across the continent and provide end-to-end advisory support.

Ghana is taking the lead with the development of the InvestGhana Portal, a digital platform built on the GIPC’s Investment Opportunity Mapping Project (IOMP).

The portal will feature a Marketplace for Service Providers, listing Ghanaian transaction advisors, legal experts, tax consultants, and accountants—professionals critical to structuring and closing deals.

“This is full-cycle facilitation,” Mr. Baba explained. “It’s not enough to show the opportunity. We must also connect investors to the right Ghanaian professionals who can structure, de-risk, and close those deals.”

Mr. Baba also invited stakeholders to the Ghana International Investment Summit (GIIS), the Centre’s flagship investor matchmaking event scheduled for later this year.

The summit will offer investors the chance to meet real SME opportunities from all 16 regions of Ghana, not just Accra.

Concluding his remarks, Mr. Baba said Ghana is setting a new benchmark for SME investment facilitation in Africa.

“AfCFTA provides the market. Ghana provides the launchpad. These reforms give us the tools. The next frontier is connecting the right capital to the right entrepreneurs. Ghana is ready to lead that charge”, he concluded