Ms. Margaret Ansei, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), has called for increased investment in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the continent as a strategic pathway to unlock the vast potential of intra-African trade and tourism.
Speaking at the Ghana International Expo and Investment Forum 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria, she said the theme for this year’s event, “Unlocking Investment Potentials through Intra-Africa Trade and Tourism,” reflects an urgent call for action and collaboration to reposition African economies for sustainable growth.
“MSMEs are not merely businesses; they are lifelines that represent the heartbeat of our economy, employing over 80 percent of our population and contributing significantly to our GDP.”
She noted that while MSMEs remain critical to Ghana and Africa’s economic fabric, they continue to face systemic barriers, including limited access to finance, fragmented markets, and insufficient visibility.
“The GEA, through various interventions, aims to eliminate these barriers and empower entrepreneurs, particularly women, youth, and persons with disabilities”, she added.
Ms. Ansei said with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), headquartered in Accra, it had the transformative potential to integrate Africa’s economies, boost intra-African trade by over 50 percent, and provide Ghanaian businesses access to a market of over 1.4 billion people.
“AfCFTA is not just about treaties or figures. It’s about people. It’s about stories like that of Beauty Secrets by Nard, a woman-led MSME now exporting organic products across borders,” she said.
Ms. Ansei also highlighted the untapped power of tourism as a catalyst for commerce, culture, and investment, saying?the “December in Ghana” initiative significantly boosted income for small-scale artisans, tour operators, and hospitality providers, showcasing the sector’s multiplier effect.
She said tourism, when strategically linked with trade, offers enormous potential to scale MSMEs beyond local borders and deepen regional value chains.
Ms Ansei noted that the heart of the GEA’s efforts is the BizBox Project, a flagship initiative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, which seeks to create 250,000 dignified jobs, with a focus on women, young girls, and persons with disabilities.
“Through BizBox, we are not only providing skills and access to markets but also opening doors for regional trade and cross-border opportunities,” she said.
Ms. Ansei said there were three pillars critical to unlocking Africa’s trade and tourism investment potential, including partnerships, market access and inclusive growth.
She reiterated that Africa was not a continent of scarcity but of coordination challenges, saying with deliberate efforts, MSMEs could become engines of job creation, innovation, and wealth across the continent.
She urged stakeholders to rally around the vision of a prosperous Africa powered by empowered entrepreneurs, integrated markets, and vibrant tourism.
“Together, through trade and tourism, supported by vibrant MSMEs, we can transform our economies, reduce poverty, and inspire the next generation with hope and opportunity,” she said.
The GIEIF 2025 brought together policymakers, investors, business leaders, and development partners from across the continent and beyond to explore opportunities for economic collaboration under the AfCFTA framework.
There was also an Exhibition of Made in Ghana products and services, including shea butter Kente cloths, local fabrics with exhibitors sponsored by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the GEA.
Source: GNA
The post Make strategic investment in MSMEs to unlock Africa’s trade and tourism potential – CEO appeared first on Ghana Business News.
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