Ghana will join continental leaders and global investors in London to explore ways to mobilise domestic capital, expand trade and attract investment into Africa’s productive sectors amid shifting global economic alliances.
President John Dramani Mahama is expected to headline discussions at the 13th Financial Times (FT) Africa Summit in London from October 21 to 22, 2026, as African economies seek new sources of financing to support industrialisation, infrastructure development and private sector growth.
The summit, scheduled for The Landmark under the theme “Mobilising Growth in a New Global Order,” will bring together African leaders, policymakers, investors and business executives to examine how the continent can strengthen its economic position amid changing global trade and investment patterns.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is also expected to attend, alongside Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group; Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania; Kristy McNeill, the United Kingdom’s Minister for International Development; Mo Ibrahim, Founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation; and Ahmed Shide, Ethiopia’s Minister of Finance.
A statement issued in Accra said ministers and business leaders from South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Angola, Mauritius, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were also expected to participate.
For Ghana and other African economies, the discussions come as governments face the challenge of financing development while reducing reliance on external borrowing and strengthening domestic financial markets.
The summit will examine opportunities to mobilise local capital, deepen financial markets and expand access to funding for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are critical to employment creation and economic diversification.
The programme will also explore the next phase of African financial technology, gold reserve management and the economic implications of rapid urbanisation, highlighting the relationship between financial innovation, resource management and long-term economic growth.
These issues have implications for Ghana, where expanding domestic investment, improving access to business finance and increasing the value derived from natural resources remain important to strengthening the productive economy.
The second day will focus on policy reforms to support sustainable and inclusive growth, alongside ways to align investment risks and capital with Africa’s development priorities.
Trade will feature prominently, with participants examining how African economies can strengthen commercial relationships amid rising tariffs, shifting global alliances and changing international economic policies.
Discussions will also consider the implications of the Red Sea corridor and United States policy towards Africa, as well as opportunities to expand commercial ties with Gulf countries, China and India.
The summit will assess how stronger regional demand and intra-African trade can help businesses access larger markets, improve production capacity and reduce vulnerability to external economic shocks.
For Ghanaian businesses, deeper regional markets could create opportunities to expand exports, attract strategic investment and participate in regional value chains, provided that financing, infrastructure and trade facilitation constraints are addressed.
Infrastructure, energy and industrial development will also feature in the two-day programme, reflecting the need for investment that expands productive capacity rather than merely increases financial flows into African economies.
The event will further host the Africa Sustainable Futures Awards, organised in partnership with the World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
The awards will recognise private sector initiatives offering innovative and scalable solutions to major African development challenges.
The summit is expected to provide a platform for African governments, investors and businesses to discuss practical approaches to financing growth, strengthening financial systems and building more competitive economies.
