Lagos: Ms. Margaret Ansei, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), has called for increased investment in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the continent as a strategic pathway to unlock the vast potential of intra-African trade and tourism. Speaking at the Ghana International Expo and Investment Forum 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria, she emphasized the theme for this year’s event, ‘Unlocking Investment Potentials through Intra-Africa Trade and Tourism,’ as an urgent call for action and collaboration to reposition African economies for sustainable growth.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ms. Ansei described MSMEs as essential components of the economy, employing over 80 percent of the population and significantly contributing to the GDP. Despite their importance, MSMEs face systemic barriers, including limited access to finance, fragmented markets, and insufficient visibility. The GEA aims to eliminate these barriers through various interventions, empowering entrepreneurs, particularly women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
Ms. Ansei highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), headquartered in Accra, as a transformative opportunity to integrate Africa’s economies, boost intra-African trade by over 50 percent, and provide Ghanaian businesses access to a market of over 1.4 billion people. She emphasized that AfCFTA is about people and shared success stories like Beauty Secrets by Nard, a woman-led MSME exporting organic products across borders.
Tourism was also identified by Ms. Ansei as an untapped catalyst for commerce, culture, and investment. Initiatives like ‘December in Ghana’ have significantly boosted income for small-scale artisans, tour operators, and hospitality providers, demonstrating the sector’s multiplier effect. She emphasized the enormous potential of linking tourism strategically with trade to scale MSMEs beyond local borders and deepen regional value chains.
At the core of the GEA’s efforts is the BizBox Project, a flagship initiative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, aimed at creating 250,000 dignified jobs, focusing on women, young girls, and persons with disabilities. Through BizBox, the GEA provides skills, market access, and opportunities for regional trade and cross-border growth.
Ms. Ansei outlined three critical pillars for unlocking Africa’s trade and tourism investment potential: partnerships, market access, and inclusive growth. She reiterated that Africa’s challenge is not scarcity but coordination, urging stakeholders to support a vision of a prosperous Africa powered by empowered entrepreneurs, integrated markets, and vibrant tourism. She highlighted the potential of transforming economies, reducing poverty, and inspiring future generations through the synergy of trade and tourism.
The GIEIF 2025 gathered policymakers, investors, business leaders, and development partners from across the continent and beyond to explore opportunities for economic collaboration under the AfCFTA framework. The event also featured an Exhibition of Made in Ghana products and services, showcasing items such as shea butter, Kente cloths, and local fabrics, with exhibitors sponsored by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the GEA.