The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) is championing policy reforms and digital innovation to attract small, impact-focused investors into Ghana’s small and medium enterprises (SME) sector.
Mr Abdul-Razak Baba, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GIPC, said Ghana is repositioning itself as a destination for patient capital and a launchpad for SMEs seeking to scale under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He was speaking at a high-level panel discussion during the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues in Accra, held on the theme: “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade.”
The session assembled policymakers, investors and entrepreneurs to deliberate on Africa’s estimated 331-billion-dollar SME financing gap and explore practical strategies to enhance economic integration and wealth creation across the continent.
Mr Baba noted that Ghana’s existing investment legislation, originally structured to attract large foreign direct investments, had inadvertently limited access for smaller, impact-oriented investors.
“These laws were well-intentioned, but the minimum foreign capital requirements have effectively shut out smaller-scale investors who are willing to support our SMEs,” he said.
He disclosed that the GIPC was spearheading amendments to the GIPC Act to remove the minimum foreign capital thresholds, a move expected to ease entry for diaspora investors, venture capital firms and impact funds interested in Ghanaian SMEs.
“When these reforms are passed, they will send a strong signal that Ghana is open to inclusive, SME-driven investment. We anticipate increased inflows of patient and impact-oriented capital,” Mr Baba stated.
He acknowledged that beyond funding constraints, many investors had raised concerns about difficulties in identifying bankable investment opportunities.
To address this challenge, Mr Baba stressed the need for a harmonised African digital investment facilitation platform to showcase credible opportunities and provide end-to-end matchmaking and advisory services for both SMEs and investors.
He said Ghana is leading efforts through the development of the InvestGhana Portal, a digital investment facilitation platform being built on the Centre’s ongoing Investment Opportunity Mapping Project.
According to him, a key component of the portal would be a Marketplace for Service Providers, featuring a curated list of Ghanaian transaction advisors, legal practitioners, tax consultants and accountants to support deal structuring and execution.
“It is not enough to simply highlight investment opportunities. We must connect investors to the right local professionals who can help structure, de-risk and close transactions. That is what we describe as full-cycle facilitation,” he explained.
Mr Baba also invited stakeholders to participate in the upcoming Ghana International Investment Summit (GIIS), the Centre’s flagship investor matchmaking event scheduled for later this year.
He described the summit as a premier platform for investors to engage directly with viable SME opportunities from across all 16 regions of the country.
With the proposed legislative reforms, digital platforms and the planned summit, Mr Baba said Ghana was establishing a new standard for SME investment facilitation on the continent.
“AfCFTA provides the market. Ghana provides the launchpad. These reforms give us the tools. The next step is connecting the right capital to the right entrepreneurs. Ghana is prepared to lead that effort,” he said.
