The 2025 Africa We Want Summit, held at Mountville International University College in Accra on Saturday, December 5, 2025, convened entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, and young leaders committed to accelerating the continent’s economic transformation.
Operating under the theme “Unlocking Africa’s Market: Technology, Trade & Entrepreneurship,” the event underscored the pivotal role of digitalisation, innovation, and regional integration in shaping Africa’s future marketplace.
Representing the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MOTAI), Mr. Kwame Oppong Ntim, the Director of Agribusiness, spoke on behalf of Deputy Minister Hon. Sampson Ahi, urging the African entrepreneurial community to seize the historic opportunities presented by the continent’s evolving economic landscape, noting Africa’s 1.4 billion population, its youthful demographic, and its rapidly expanding digital ecosystem.
Mr. Oppong Ntim highlighted the transformative impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is repositioning Africa from a collection of isolated markets into a unified economic bloc, stressing the need for businesses to adopt a borderless mindset. “A business that starts in Accra should be able to scale to Kigali, Cape Town, Tunis and beyond,” he remarked.
The Director further outlined several initiatives by MOTAI to support entrepreneurs, including the forthcoming launch of Ghana’s Agribusiness Policy, which will enforce stronger standards in packaging and product quality to help local businesses attract consumers and compete in larger markets. Additionally, he noted that the Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA) is rolling out a progressive licensing scheme, offering sponsored assistance to help selected Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) become export-ready and fully compliant with international requirements. He also pointed to ongoing work by the Business Regulatory Reform Commission, which aims to streamline standards and improve the business environment to attract greater investment.
Concluding his remarks, he encouraged young innovators to embrace capacity building, honesty, and hard work as they scale their ventures. A notable moment of the summit was the graduation of the 19th Cohort of the AEA Launchpad Entrepreneurship Programme, with 32 individuals completing training in enterprise growth, business competitiveness, and internationalisation. As part of their comprehensive programme, the graduates also studied two strategic business languages, Business Chinese and Business French, to strengthen their capacity to operate in global markets.
President of the African Entrepreneurship Academy, Mr. Wilson Kafui Senya, reiterated the call for stronger stakeholder support for entrepreneurship training, urging participants and partners alike to “seize the moment to co-create and build the Africa we want and make Ghana great and strong.”
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
