A visit to the Kejetia Market in Kumasi, Ghana, leaves no doubt hustling is the economic lifeline of most African countries.

Everyone is selling something. Hawkers sell water, yams, bananas, and other wares along the road.

It is a common occurrence in most African countries. Beyond the language and landscape, most African countries have the same economic setup. 

They have a large informal sector, 89 per cent in Ghana, according to a 2020 scholarly article by William Baah-Boateng and Joann Vanek.

For Kenya, it is about 83 per cent. The difference between Kenya and Ghana is noticeable on the streets.

Is hustling forever? Africa has great economic dreams best espoused by Agenda 2063 and Africa‘s free trade area. 

Beyond languages, and political leaders who are more inside-looking than outside, Africa‘s other bigger obstacle is the large informal sector. 

This sector suffers from inefficiencies because of its small size. Transport, storage, advertising, sourcing, and other services rarely benefit from economies of scale. They have no market power and are price takers. However, the sector keeps the African dream alive – that small-scale traders will one day become multinationals. 

That rarely happens; the customers prefer foreign brands, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) do not get the same support big firms get, including access to political leaders, tax holidays, and other incentives.  They are also unable to access physical space to work. I was touched to see hawkers selling their wares in the 36-degree Kumasi heat. Remember our jua kali (informal sector)?

Nurturing a one-man business to become the next Toyota or Walmart is not a walk in the park. Yet the informal sector has the majority of Africans eking out a living in it. How can we ignore that?

How do we uplift this sector across Africa? What is its place in our long-term plans? It seems this sector is a fertile academic field, rich with votes but short of getting the support it deserves.

SMEs are like babies, they must be nurtured to maturity. Remember how South Korea nurtured chaebols like Samsung or Hyundai?

I am convinced Africa’s economic future and fortune are tied to small businesses and hustling.

When we are transforming this sector in Africa – from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic, from the Mediterranean to the Cape? I hope it happens in my lifetime

By Benard Worlali Awumee

Keta, (V/R), May 08, GNA – The Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), under its Strengthening Accountability, Rule of Law, and Institutional Responsiveness in Ghana (SARIS) project, has landed in the Volta region.

The move aimed to intensify efforts to build grassroots capacity in the fight against corruption through a series of citizen training workshops across some selected Districts in the Region.

Funded by the European Union in Ghana, the initiative is designed to empower ordinary citizens to play an active role in promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance at the local level.

Following successful workshops in South Tongu and Ketu South Districts, where participants were educated on public financial management laws, types of corruption, and how to effectively report misconduct, the project has now moved to the Keta Municipality.

The two-day training session in Keta, which begins Thursday, 8th May 2025, is expected to bring together key community actors, including youth groups, civil society representatives, government officials and traditional leaders, among others.

Participants would be equipped with practical tools to monitor local governance processes and hold duty bearers accountable and also explore their roles in shaping a responsive and transparent public service environment.

In previous engagements, the CDD-Ghana team collaborated with local radio stations to broaden public outreach and spark community-wide dialogue on corruption and civic responsibility.

This series of workshops forms the second round of a similar project held with the same aim of Capacity Building Training on Public Financial Management and Anti-Corruption Sensitisation in July 2024

Facilitators, such as governance and Anti-corruption expert, Mr. Senanu Edem, emphasised that changing public perception around accountability is critical to Ghana’s democratic progress.

“The aim is to build a network of informed citizens who are not only aware of the laws but are ready to act when those laws are breached,” Mr. Edem noted.

Participants in earlier sessions expressed renewed confidence in their ability to identify and challenge corruption within their communities.

“We are now better informed and can speak up against wrongdoing,” one trainee in Ketu South affirmed.

The Keta workshop marks a significant step in the broader campaign to strengthen democratic governance in Ghana, particularly in underserved areas. With eight workshops planned under the SARIS project, CDD-Ghana remains committed to fostering a citizen-led movement for accountability.

GNA

MA/KOA

Outgoing President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah, has issued a strong caution to the government against the infiltration of partisan politics into the management and development of sports in the country.

Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning show on Thursday, April 10, 2025, Nunoo Mensah stressed that politics should be kept separate from sports administration to ensure growth and international credibility.

“Individuals in sports who do not understand the way international sports work may think that sports has to be political. No, I don’t agree with them,” he said.

“I’m very much part of the NDC structure in my constituency, but it only stops in my house. When I wear the cap of GOC President, I’m not political. That is what the IOC demands us to do.”

He emphasized the importance of adhering to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) charter, which promotes political neutrality in sports administration.

“Anybody who believes in the charter of the IOC will caution any government who wants to make sports political. It will not be good for the long-term development of our sports, especially when it has to do with the Ghana Olympic Committee or national federations,” he stated.

Nunoo Mensah, who played a significant role in Ghana’s successful hosting of the 13th African Games in Accra last year, urged government officials to allow stakeholders within the sports federations to manage their affairs independently.

“Let the stakeholders run these things, and I’m sure they know what’s good for the federations that they belong to,” he added.

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GCEC seeks to drive sustainability in agriculture and agro-processing, textiles and plastics

The Strategic Partnerships and Engagements Lead for the Ghana Circular Economy project, Joseph Yeboah, has reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to supporting Ghana’s transition from a linear economy to a more circular one.

This transition will be driven by partnership-building efforts to promote efficient and sustainable resource management practices in three key economic sectors: textiles, agriculture and agro-processing, and plastics.

He made these remarks during a validation workshop held in Takoradi in the Western Region.

The Ghana Circular Economy project is a five-year initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by UNIDO in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI). The project aims to foster circular economy-based inclusive economic prosperity and a low-carbon economy, particularly benefiting women and youth in Ghana.

Yeboah noted that the validation workshop was the second in a series of workshops designed to validate the project’s gender and youth baseline reports while raising awareness about the Ghana Circular Economy Centre (GCEC) project.

He further explained that these workshops seek to incorporate input from national stakeholders to ensure that the gender and youth action plans being developed align with their interests and aspirations.

The GCEC is hosted by Ho Technical University, with satellite locations at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the University of Cape Coast (UCC), and The Or Foundation, which serve as Value Chain Leads for agriculture and agro-processing, plastics, and textiles, respectively.

“We are focusing on cassava, mango, pineapple, tilapia, and catfish value chains within the agriculture and agro-processing sector, while also working on effective plastic collection and recycling in the plastics sector.

For textiles, our interest spans both second-hand clothing and local textiles production chains,” Mr. Yeboah stated.

He also outlined the five main pillars of the project:

• Establishing the Centres

• Training and capacity building for beneficiaries

• Providing technical assistance for developing circular economy modules

• Enhancing financial sector support for stakeholders

• Facilitating networking and exchange programs

The Ghana Circular Economy Centre (GCEC) seeks to drive sustainability in agriculture and agro-processing, textiles, and plastics by promoting circular economy practices. Through innovative strategies, the project aims to enhance resource efficiency, reduce waste, and create more sustainable jobs, particularly for women and youth.

Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame

Banking consultant Dr. Richmond Atuahene has questioned why Ghana’s financial sector cases dating back to 2017 remain unresolved, stating that the Attorney General, not the International Monetary Fund (IMF), should be held accountable for the delay.

Speaking on “Morning Starr” with Lantam Papanko, Dr. Atuahene argued that those seeking justice should direct their concerns to the Attorney General’s office rather than looking to the IMF for intervention.

“This case started in 2017. After 2020, are you saying that the previous Attorney General didn’t see anything wrong with it? Why couldn’t he have prosecuted it? People make a lot of noise, but if they had a solid case, they should be asking the Attorney General why it wasn’t pursued,” he said.

He further emphasized that Ghana’s Limitation Act, NRCD 575, places time restrictions on legal actions, with some cases having a statute of limitations of three, five, or thirty years. He warned that prolonged delays could make it legally impossible to prosecute certain financial crimes.

Amid discussions about petitioning the IMF over banking sector issues, Dr. Atuahene dismissed the move as ineffective.

“The IMF is not in this country to arbitrate on these matters. They are only here because we are taking their money. Reporting to them won’t change anything because it’s not part of their mandate,” he explained.

With the IMF delegation expected in Ghana next week, he noted that their focus would be on broader economic assessments, not unresolved financial sector cases.

Dr. Atuahene also touched on the ongoing transition at the Bank of Ghana, stating that the acting governor must first gather financial sector data before being confirmed by the Council of State.

He urged stakeholders to be more circumspect in their accusations, suggesting that earlier due diligence could have prevented the current predicament.

“If we had done the right thing from the start, would we be having this conversation today?” he asked.

Accra, Jan. 14, GNA -GCB Bank PLC has cut sod for the construction of a Paediatric Unit for the University of Ghana at a ceremony held at the University of Ghana Hospital on Monday. 

The construction of the unit forms part of the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda of contributing to improved healthcare services targeted at the youngest and most vulnerable members of society. 

The ceremony brought together the leadership of the Bank, the Hospital and the academic community of the University of Ghana as they witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony.  

Those present from the Bank included Mr. Kofi Adomakoh, Managing Director, Mr. Sam Aidoo, Executive Director, Wholesale & Investment Banking and Mr. Linus Kumi, Head, Corporate Banking. 

The University was represented by Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice Chancellor, Professor Gordon Abekah-Nkrumah, Chairman of the Hospital Management Committee, Professor Mark Sando Yidana, Provost, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, Professor Joseph Yaro, Provost, College of Humanities, Professor Alfred Edwin Yawson, Provost, College of Health Sciences, Professor Justice Bawole, Dean, University of Ghana Business School, and Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah, Registrar. 

The Paediatric Unit, when completed, will include a six-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) equipped to offer neonatal intensive care for pre-term babies as well as an eight-bed high-dependency unit for specialized paediatric care which is usually not available in a normal ward. 

The Unit will also house an eight-bed infant unit, a two-bedroom isolation unit and a two-bed private room. Additionally, the Paediatric Unit will have a 16-bed toddler and older children’s ward, theatre and recovery units and a three-room labour and delivery suite fitted with state-of-the-art equipment. 

Kofi Adomakoh, Managing Director of GCB Bank PLC, highlighted that the construction of the Unit aligns with the Bank’s broader CSR strategy which prioritises community well-being in key areas including health. 

He said the construction of the Unit represented a profound opportunity for the Bank to make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of children.  

The facility, he said, would provide more than just health care, ensuring the total well-being of future generations and supporting the training of medical staff. 

“We do not view this project merely as an infrastructure investment. It is an investment in our children’s lives, our healthcare system’s resilience and our community’s prosperity. It reflects a broader aspiration of promoting social responsibility and fostering sustainable development in every part of the country” he said. 

Speaking on behalf of the University, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, stated that “It is important to acknowledge that the resources required to transform the operations of the Hospital, and the Health Services Directorate cannot be shouldered by the University alone. This is why we are especially grateful for the strong and enduring partnerships we have cultivated with external stakeholders over the years. One such invaluable partner is GCB Bank, which has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the development of the University.” 

For over 60 years, the Bank has cultivated a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with the University. One of the most recent and tangible outcomes of this partnership is the construction of the Paediatric Unit, which aims to address a critical challenge in healthcare delivery for the University community and its surrounding residents. 

The Bank has made crucial contributions to the health sector as part of its CSR agenda and commitment to improving the general well-being of Ghanaians including notable donations of cash, equipment and infrastructure to various health facilities such as the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and 37 Military Hospital. 

GCB Bank PLC is a leading player in Ghana’s banking industry, with 184 branches, 340 ATMs and a host of banking agents spread across the length and breadth of the country. 

GNA