The landscape of private sector advocacy in Ghana has witnessed a seismic shift as the Kwahu Business Advocacy Association (KBAA) was formally inaugurated in Accra by the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MoTAI), Hon. Ofosu-Adjare delivered a high-octane keynote address during the inauguration, calling on the nation’s entrepreneurs to transition from individual success stories to a structured, institutionalized force for economic change.
“The event, which drew heavyweights from across Ghana’s commercial spectrum, was more than a mere unveiling. It was a strategic alignment of the ‘Kwahu spirit’ – long associated with retail and trade – with the government’s aggressive push for value-added manufacturing and the 24-Hour Economy”
MoTAI
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare was blunt in her assessment that while Ghana possesses a vibrant entrepreneurial class, the lack of structured organization often dilutes the private sector’s ability to influence policy. By forming the KBAA, Kwahu entrepreneurs are now positioning themselves as a credible, results-driven voice capable of reducing systemic bottlenecks.
The Minister emphasized that the government’s mandate is to ensure that public systems act as catalysts rather than obstacles. She urged the new association to serve as a bridge, sharing experiences and speaking with a unified voice to drive down the costs of doing business for legitimate enterprises.
“We are choosing to climb, but we want to climb in a new way together, organised and institutional. Businesses grow faster and more sustainably when they organise,” she added.
Feeding the Industry
A central theme of the inauguration was the urgent need to move beyond the export of raw materials. Hon. Ofosu-Adjare highlighted the “Feed-the-Industry” program, a strategic initiative designed to link primary production directly to local processing plants.
She explained that this model aims to build dependable supply chains that insulate the Ghanaian economy from global commodity price shocks. The Minister also linked this industrial push to the recently assented 24-Hour Economy Authority Act.
This framework is expected to revolutionize agro-processing by supporting production, storage, and logistics beyond traditional working hours – effectively doubling or tripling the output capacity of local factories.
“She highlighted the government’s renewed focus on agribusiness, explaining that Ghana must move beyond exporting raw materials to processing more locally to maximise value, create jobs and strengthen economic resilience”
MoTAI
The KBAA Mandate
In his acceptance speech, the President of the Board of Trustees of the KBAA, Mr. Kwabena Adjare Danquah, described the association’s birth as a “defining moment.”
He signaled that the KBAA would not be a mere social club for the wealthy, but a strategic entity focused on four key pillars: Advocacy, Membership Value, Innovation, and Business Development.
Mr. Danquah pledged to position the association as a sophisticated partner to regulators and financial institutions, moving away from the “individual accomplishment” model toward “organized influence.” The broader objective remains job creation and the expansion of Kwahu-led enterprises into regional powerhouses under the AfCFTA.
The event’s chairperson, Prof. Oduro Owusu, Vice Chancellor of the Presbyterian University, Abetifi, provided a philosophical anchor to the discussions. Drawing parallels to Japan’s post-World War II miracle, he argued that technology and capital are useless without a foundational culture of integrity and honesty.
He proposed the establishment of a specialized Industrial Park that would function as an incubation hub, where skills development is integrated with character formation. For Prof. Owusu, the “human capital element is the missing link in Ghana’s industrial transformation.”
“No matter how much you invest in your business, if you are working with dishonest people, you will struggle. Integrity and honesty must become foundational values for Ghana’s business community to achieve sustainable growth”
Prof. Oduro Owusu, Vice Chancellor of the Presbyterian University, Abetifi
MoTAI noted that with the KBAA now operational, the focus shifts to how this new institutional voice will navigate the complexities of 2026’s macroeconomic landscape and whether it can truly turn the “Kwahu retail empire” into a “Kwahu industrial enclave.”
READ ALSO: Newmont Tops 2025 Global Mining Companies Ranking
