Stakeholders across Ghana’s digital trade ecosystem convened on Tuesday for the third National Steering Committee (NESC) Meeting on E-Commerce and Digital Trade, signaling a shift from strategy development to implementation of the country’s 2026 National E-Commerce and Digital Trade Work Plan.
The two-day forum, running through Wednesday, March 18, brought together government officials, regulators, private sector operators, and development partners to translate Ghana’s e-commerce strategy into actionable measures.
Delivering the welcome address on behalf of the Chief Director of the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MoTAI), Madam Stella A. Ansah, Director of the Foreign Trade and Negotiations Directorate, stressed the need to move beyond dialogue.
“We have started well… but after this meeting, we must go beyond talking and start real implementation. When we meet, we should be discussing the impact we have made,” Ansah said, underscoring a results-oriented approach.
The session featured technical and industry presentations aimed at grounding Ghana’s implementation efforts in both global best practices and local realities. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) highlighted operational lessons from African and international e-commerce initiatives, emphasizing alignment between policy frameworks, implementation mechanisms, and private sector dynamics.
ODI Global presented an assessment of Ghana’s digital identity infrastructure and its readiness for integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol. Meanwhile, Jumia Ghana offered private sector perspectives, detailing the operational realities of e-commerce platforms, business models, and digital marketplace logistics, while noting persistent challenges in invoicing flows and last-mile delivery.
Eric K. Asamoah, Senior Trade Officer at MoTAI, presented the 2026 National E-Commerce and Digital Trade Work Plan, highlighting a strategic shift from policy formulation to execution. The plan is structured around six strategic outcomes: strengthening the policy and regulatory environment, enhancing digital infrastructure, improving MSME participation in e-commerce, facilitating trade logistics, reinforcing data governance and consumer trust, and ensuring effective coordination and monitoring mechanisms.
Targeted interventions include onboarding 2,000 MSMEs onto e-commerce platforms, establishing regional e-commerce resource centres, expanding broadband access, improving cross-border payment systems, and enhancing last-mile delivery networks. Asamoah said successful execution would enhance MSME competitiveness, create jobs, and deepen Ghana’s integration into regional and global digital trade networks.
The first day concluded with remarks from Co-Chair Emmanuel Ofori, who commended participants and urged continued engagement in developing sustainable financing models and institutional coordination frameworks.
The meeting continues Wednesday with breakout sessions and implementation planning, expected to further define roles, timelines, and operational mechanisms for the 2026 work plan.
