Northern Business Fair: A gateway to new opportunities for Northern Ghana

The Northern Business Fair 2025 came to a successful close on Sunday, October 26, leaving behind an atmosphere of excitement, optimism, and renewed confidence in the entrepreneurial potential of northern Ghana.

Organised by Channel One TV and Citi FM, the two-day fair at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale showcased the region’s finest in creativity, innovation, and commerce — from agro-processing and crafts to technology and entrepreneurship.

For many, the fair was more than an exhibition; it was a turning point for the northern business ecosystem, offering visibility, mentorship, and investment opportunities long concentrated in the southern parts of the country.

Entrepreneurs Find Opportunity and Hope

Exhibitors who participated in the fair were full of praise for the organisers and partners, describing the event as a unique platform that connected them to mentors, investors, and key stakeholders.

Esther Naabu Krakue of Amat Solutions Company Limited said the experience opened doors she never imagined.

“I got an opportunity to talk to a white man who offered me free mentorship after this programme. He promised to give me my coach,” she said with excitement.

For Saani Abukari of Saan One-One Wood Works, the fair provided the breakthrough he had been seeking.

“I got some links for a partnership to grow my business. My expectation has been met,” he remarked.

Other exhibitors, including Alhassan Tahiru Niindoo of A.T. Soul White Enterprise, Kassim Abdul Aziz of Organic Green Village, and Abdul Halim Ibrahim of Gamma Smocks, commended the organisers for bridging a gap that has long limited northern entrepreneurs.

“It’s very great. I would like to thank Channel One TV for organising this event. They should try and do it every six months for us to have connections to grow our businesses,” Abdul Aziz suggested.

A Platform for Growth and Connection

The fair drew hundreds of participants — traders, investors, students, and innovators — from across the northern regions and beyond.

Patrons said these engagements provided practical insights and direct connections to banks, agencies, and development organisations ready to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“This fair is not just about buying and selling,” said Mariam Alhassan, a participant from Savelugu.

“It’s about connecting ideas, people, and opportunities. I’ve met financial institutions that explained how to access loans, and I’ve discovered new products made right here in the North.”

Abdulai Mohammed, a young entrepreneur producing organic shea-based cosmetics, said the partnerships behind the fair showed what collaboration can achieve.

“The collaboration between the media houses, Ecobank, GEA, and other partners shows that when institutions work together, small businesses can thrive,” he said.

Driving Regional Innovation and Enterprise

The fair’s exhibitions reflected the entrepreneurial pulse of northern Ghana, featuring handwoven smocks, leather crafts, processed foods, renewable energy solutions, and locally developed digital tools.

By highlighting these innovations, the event underscored the region’s capacity not only for traditional craft but also for modern industrial growth and job creation.

Organisers say the fair reaffirms their commitment to empowering local entrepreneurs, stimulating innovation, and boosting economic activity across northern Ghana and beyond.

For decades, major trade exhibitions have been held mainly in Accra, leaving many talented entrepreneurs in the north without access to investors or national markets. The Northern Business Fair 2025 has begun to change that narrative — bringing the marketplace home to where creativity, resources, and enterprise naturally converge.

It has also positioned northern Ghana as a new frontier for industrialisation and investment, in line with Ghana’s national agenda for inclusive growth.

By linking entrepreneurs with financial institutions, development agencies, and potential mentors, the fair is laying the groundwork for a stronger local economy built on innovation, value addition, and youth enterprise.

The Northern Business Fair 2025 was powered by Channel One TV and Citi FM, with sponsorship from Ecobank, Syde Hassle, the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), and the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), and support from Kacstone Records.

Together, these partners are driving a new wave of regional entrepreneurship — one that celebrates local creativity while integrating northern businesses into national and international value chains.

As the curtains fall on this year’s edition, one message echoes across Tamale: the Northern Business Fair is not just an event — it’s a movement.

It’s a movement to connect the north to opportunity, empower young innovators, and prove that the future of Ghanaian enterprise is not limited by geography.

With the success of the 2025 edition, the region is already looking forward to a bigger, more impactful fair — one that continues to unlock potential, inspire innovation, and turn the dreams of northern entrepreneurs into reality.