UNOPS Possibilities Forum Launches in Ghana

BY YESMAN ANTOH-

Sarah Adwoa Safo, Ghana Minister of State in Charge of Public Procurement
Photo Credit: Rainbow Radio

NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS, Accra, Ghana- A TWO-DAY event has been held in Accra to equip traditionally disadvantage Ghanaian entrepreneurs with information that will help them increase client base, both within and outside Ghana.

The event hosted by UNOPS Ghana in partnership with Ghana’s Office of the Minister of State in Charge of Public Procurement, the UNOPS Possibilities (UP) Forum is a capacity enhancement platform for local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

UNOPS strengthens national capacity in Ghana by providing enterprises owned by traditionally disadvantaged groups in particular, businesses owned by women, youth, people with disabilities – with the information and tools needed to help them succeed.

The UNOPS Ghana Country Director and Representative to Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, Ifeoma Charles-Monwuba, saidnUNOPS is committed to supporting the government of Ghana in leaving no one behind, in line with its commitments to the SDGs and its own national policy.

“The forum seeks to support enterprises to contribute meaningfully to the development of Ghana,” Ifeoma said.

The Minister of State in Charge of Public Procurement, Sarah Adwoa Safo said “Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises play a crucial role in the development of Ghana and contributing to alleviating poverty. 92% of companies in Ghana are in this category and they contribute to 70% of Ghana’s GDP, so focusing on them is what we want to do.”

Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, said “We hope that the UN and in particular UNOPS can assist our Ministry to strengthen a sustainability drive for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Ghana.”

In her keynote address, the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, expressed her appreciation for the collaboration that led to the hosting of the event.

“I am grateful for the collaboration of Ministry of Procurement and UNOPS, and I hope that the forum will support companies to learn about public procurement processes and opportunities, prepare themselves and be inspired by real life success stories,” she stated.

The Resident Coordinator of Ghana ad interim (IOM Representative), Sylvia Lopez Ekra, said “Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises play a big role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, as they create employment especially for those often left behind, such as women, youth and people with disabilities.”

Over the course of event, which started July 24, participants have learned more about the government of Ghana’s mechanism that allocates 30% of public procurement spend to businesses owned by women, youth and people with disability.

They also discussed how to register in the UN Global Market Place and how to do business with UNOPS. Local entrepreneurs also shared their success stories with participants, to inspire them going forward.

BY YESMAN ANTOH, NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS, BUSINESS & POLITICS, GLOBAL CORRESPONDENT

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