The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) is deepening efforts to connect Ghanaian businesses with international markets as it leads a business focused engagement in Columbus, Ohio, as part of the Columbus Investment Summit.
The delegation, led by GEA Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Margaret Ansei, is using the engagements to expose participating Ghanaian enterprises to established businesses, business models and market opportunities in the United States.
According to her, the GEA team visited North Market, Middle West Spirits and other prospective companies in Columbus. The visits are designed to create opportunities for Ghanaian businesses to establish relationships with American enterprises, exchange knowledge and explore potential areas of collaboration.
“The GEA, through various interventions, aims to eliminate these barriers and empower entrepreneurs, particularly women, youth, and persons with disabilities.’’
CEO of GEA, Ms Margaret Ansei
The initiative comes at a time when Ghana is seeking to position its Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to take advantage of opportunities beyond the domestic market.
GEA is the government’s apex institution responsible for promoting and developing MSMEs in Ghana. Under the Ghana Enterprises Agency Act, 2020 (Act 1043), the Agency is mandated to coordinate, implement and monitor activities within the MSME sector. Its stated mission is to help MSMEs become competitive, sustainable and capable of thriving in the global economy.
Speaking previously on the importance of supporting MSMEs, she said: “MSMEs are not merely businesses; they are lifelines that represent the heartbeat of our economy.”
She has also stressed the need to remove barriers that prevent enterprises from reaching larger markets, including challenges relating to finance, market access and visibility.
Providing Practical Approach for Ghanaian Businesses
The Columbus engagement therefore provides a practical extension of that approach by taking Ghanaian businesses closer to potential international partners and giving them an opportunity to understand how established enterprises operate in a competitive market.
One of the destinations visited by the delegation, North Market, offers a particularly relevant model for Ghanaian enterprises.
North Market is a longstanding public market in Columbus that promotes independent businesses, farmers and makers. Established in 1876, it has evolved into a major commercial and cultural destination while maintaining its focus on local and independent enterprises. The organisation says its mission includes promoting and incubating “Best In Class” local independent businesses.
The market provides an example of how small and independent businesses can be brought together within a structured commercial environment, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to reach consumers while benefiting from a wider business ecosystem.
For Ghanaian enterprises participating in the Columbus programme, such exposure can provide practical lessons on product presentation, customer engagement, branding, market positioning and the standards required to compete internationally.
GEA to Provide a Broader Exposure
The GEA’s engagement with Middle West Spirits also provides exposure to an established Columbus-based enterprise. The company operates a distillery, bottle shop and service bar in Columbus and provides contract distilling partnerships, offering another potential learning point for businesses interested in production, branding, distribution and value chain development.
The broader objective is to ensure that internationalisation goes beyond simply sending Ghanaian entrepreneurs abroad.
For the GEA, the Columbus engagements are intended to create relationships that can translate into partnerships, investment, knowledge exchange, market opportunities and stronger business networks.
This approach aligns with the Agency’s broader objective of developing globally competitive Ghanaian businesses. GEA currently operates programmes supporting SME growth, entrepreneurship, women owned businesses, youth enterprises and business advisory services. It also has more than 200 Business Advisory Centres providing support to MSMEs across the country.
The Agency’s international engagement also comes against the background of strengthening relations between Ghana and Columbus.
In March 2026, a 30 member delegation from Columbus, Ohio, led by former Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, visited Accra as part of efforts to strengthen the longstanding sister city relationship between Accra and Columbus. The engagement included discussions around cultural, educational and investment cooperation.
That relationship is increasingly creating opportunities beyond traditional diplomatic exchanges, with the GEA recently facilitating a partnership involving the City of Columbus, Ghana’s Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment and the Ministry of Health to create structured professional opportunities for qualified Ghanaian health professionals, particularly nurses.
The development demonstrates the potential for Ghana-Columbus relations to generate practical economic opportunities for Ghanaian professionals and businesses.
Identifying Ghanaian Entrepreneurial Capabilities
For the Ghanaian enterprises taking part in the Columbus Investment Summit, the immediate priority is to learn from the US market while identifying areas where Ghanaian products, services and entrepreneurial capabilities can meet international demand.
The GEA’s strategy is therefore moving beyond traditional enterprise support towards building connections that can help businesses become more competitive and internationally oriented.
The Agency says its vision is to become a world-class MSME-support institution driven by innovation and focused on developing globally competitive businesses for Ghana’s economic transformation.
The Columbus visits form part of that broader ambition established to engage prospective partners, the GEA is seeking to give Ghanaian businesses more than exposure. It is working to create the relationships, knowledge and networks that can help enterprises move from local operations into international markets.
For Ghana’s MSMEs, the message from Columbus is clear: global competitiveness will require not only good products and services, but also stronger networks, market intelligence, strategic partnerships and the ability to understand and meet international customer expectations.
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