Top Finance Leaders Meet Chief of Staff in Lead-Up to Kwahu Business Forum—-
In a significant prelude to the upcoming Second Kwahu Business Forum, key executives from Ghana’s leading state-owned financial institutions met with Chief of Staff Julius Debrah at the Presidency on Thursday to deliberate on strategies to deepen private-sector growth through financial innovation.
The high-level engagement, held under the auspices of the Office of the President, forms part of the groundwork for the highly anticipated forum, slated for Saturday, April 19, under the theme: “The Future of Business: The Role of the Financial Sector.” The forum aims to spark robust dialogue between financial institutions and the private sector, with the goal of unlocking capital flows, enhancing competitiveness, and reshaping the country’s business ecosystem.
Mr. Debrah, a seasoned entrepreneur from Kwahu, reaffirmed President John Mahama‘s commitment to building a thriving environment for enterprise, as pledged during the 2012 presidential campaign. He emphasized the administration’s focus on fostering access to capital, streamlining regulatory frameworks, and accelerating financial sector reforms to better serve entrepreneurs and SMEs.
The discussions zeroed in on crafting bespoke financial solutions to address systemic challenges facing Ghanaian businesses. Central to the dialogue was the need to transition entrepreneurs from micro-scale retail operations to high-impact industrial ventures a leap seen as pivotal to driving economic transformation.
Participants also explored how innovative financial instruments can help bolster small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) a sector that constitutes the backbone of Ghana’s economy. Proposals included the scaling of capacity-building initiatives, strengthening public-private partnerships, and deploying blended finance models to de-risk investments.
The strategy session brought together an influential roster of financial leaders including:
Mr. Sylvester Mensah, CEO, Exim Bank
Mr. Ato Sarpong, MD, Agricultural Development Bank
Mr. Doliwura Zakaria, CEO, National Investment Bank (NIB)
Mr. Francis K. Arthur, CEO, Ghana Export Promotion Authority
Mr. Daniel Wilson Addo, MD, Consolidated Bank Ghana
Mr. Farihan Alhassan, MD, Ghana Commercial Bank
Mr. Michael Abbey, CEO, Venture Capital Trust Fund
Dr. Randolph Nsor-Ambala, CEO, Development Bank Ghana
Mr. Seth Terkper, Presidential Advisor on the Economy
As anticipation builds for the Kwahu Business Forum, this strategic dialogue underscores the government‘s intent to forge a resilient financial ecosystem capable of powering Ghana’s private sector into the future.
Last Updated on April 7, 2025 by Senel Media
