Held on the theme, "Elevating the Future Generation of Ghana's MSMEs through Digital Empowerment and Innovation," the event brought together government officials, development partners, financial institutions and entrepreneurs to explore digital solutions that can strengthen Ghana's MSME ecosystem.

Speaking on behalf of MTN Ghana's Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Angela Mensah-Poku, the Senior Manager of SME Sales Mohammed Abubakari-Sidick said that Ghana's entrepreneurs had been central to MTN's 30-year journey in the country and remained the driving force behind thriving communities and local economies.

He noted that through MTN Business, the company continued to provide digital solutions that enabled MSMEs to manage their operations more efficiently, reach more customers and grow with confidence in an increasingly digital economy.

He highlighted MTN's SME Accelerate Programme, which offered sector-specific webinars, one-on-one SME clinics and the annual MTN SME Awards to support businesses at different stages of growth. According to her, over 700 SMEs had already benefited from the initiative in Ho, Kumasi and Koforidua this year, with plans to extend the programme to Tamale, Takoradi and Accra.

He also announced MTN's support for the MSME Business Pitch Competition, where five entrepreneurs would each receive GH¢30,000 and an MTN business support package, describing the initiative as an investment in Ghana's economic future.

Representing the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Presidential Advisor on the Economy Seth Terkper said that MSMEs accounted for about 90 per cent of businesses in Ghana and employed more than 80 per cent of the country's workforce, making them central to government's economic transformation agenda.

He said that government was strengthening partnerships with financial institutions, promoting innovative financing models and credit guarantee schemes while pursuing regulatory reforms, digital public services and simplified business registration to improve the ease of doing business. He added that the government's 24-hour economy policy was expected to create more opportunities for MSMEs through extended production, transport, storage and digital services, while encouraging greater support for women-led businesses and positioning local enterprises to take advantage of opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency, Margaret Ansei, described the launch of the MSME Digital Gateway, developed in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as a major milestone in Ghana's digital transformation agenda.

She explained that the platform would provide entrepreneurs with market intelligence, business information and digital connectivity while integrating the Ghana Entrepreneurship Policy Toolkit, developed with support from German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), to simplify regulatory requirements and improve access to business support services.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Director of Administration, Yaw Sakyi said that between the third quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, GEA and its partners delivered business development services to over 306,000 MSMEs, with 70 per cent of beneficiaries being women-led businesses.

He added that 95,000 youth-led enterprises received support through various government initiatives, while 3,000 businesses were trained in digital skills, e-commerce and AI readiness, 12,000 businesses were supported to formalise their operations, 13,000 MSMEs accessed financing support or were linked to financial institutions, and 6,000 enterprises received market access and export readiness support across all 16 regions.

UNDP Ghana Resident Representative Niloy Banerjee said that SMEs remained the backbone of economies worldwide, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of businesses in Ghana and contributing over 70 per cent of private sector employment. He noted that the Digital Gateway would serve as a one-stop resource centre and e-marketplace, enabling businesses to access critical information, connect with markets and strengthen their digital presence.

Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy, Sivine Janssen, said that Germany, through GIZ and the Ghana Enterprises Agency, had supported nearly 1,000 MSMEs to strengthen their digital capabilities and online visibility. She also announced the launch of the Ghana Entrepreneurship Policy Chatbot, designed to help entrepreneurs easily access policy information and business support services.

In a speech read on his behalf, Stanbic Bank Ghana’s Chief Executive Officer, Kwamina Asomaning, noted that the future of enterprise lay in combining technology with human creativity, resilience and innovation. He noted that beyond access to capital, MSMEs required business advisory services, financial literacy, digital capabilities and strategic partnerships to grow, adding that Stanbic continued to support entrepreneurs through its business incubator programme.