Young entrepreneurs seeking to compete on the global stage must stop thinking locally and begin building businesses that meet international standards.
This is according to Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digiits, a software company, Eli Banini, who was speaking during a panel discussion at the AFW Youth Forum 2026 organised by the World Bank.
Elli Banini argued that while Ghana’s youth possess the talent and creativity needed to build world-class businesses, many startups fail to scale because they overlook one critical ingredient, which is standards.
Drawing from his experience building a technology company that serves international clients, he stressed that sustainable growth and global competitiveness are not determined by ambition alone but by the quality, consistency, and credibility that businesses demonstrate over time.
“Basically, what we are talking about is how good the product you are building is. We can start from there. If you observe standards, like global standards, not Ghana or Accra standards,” the founder and CEO noted.
The Difference Between Building and Building to Last
According to Elli Banini, one of the biggest mistakes young businesses make is focusing on delivering products that solve immediate problems without considering whether those solutions can grow with the client.
He recounted from his entrepreneurial journey when he was invited to help rescue a software project that had been outsourced overseas but had become disorganised and ineffective.
After restructuring the project, he was asked to assemble a team to build a better solution. The experience exposed a recurring problem in the technology ecosystem, that many products are built without adequate attention to quality standards and scalability.
“One of the key challenges you find with local companies is standards. So you think, particularly when it comes to software products, a team can sit in Ghana and just build anything, and you realise that it will not scale. Maybe they are building a product for a company of about 15 people. In two years, we cannot use the software, or everything is just messy,” he emphasized.
For him, true innovation is not merely creating a product; it is creating one that remains reliable, efficient, and relevant as businesses expand.
Why Standards Matter More
While acknowledging the abundance of talent among young entrepreneurs, Elli Banini argued that talent alone does not guarantee success. In his view, standards provide the framework that transforms skills into globally competitive products and services.
Whether in technology, manufacturing, consulting, or any other industry, customers increasingly expect businesses to demonstrate professionalism, quality assurance, and adherence to internationally recognised best practices.
He cited experiences with international audits and certification processes, explaining that organisations seeking to work with global partners are often required to prove that their systems, processes, and products meet internationally accepted benchmarks.
These requirements, he said, are not bureaucratic hurdles but signals of trust.
Credibility Is the Currency of Global Business
The CEO of Digiits also highlighted credibility as one of the most valuable assets any young business can build.
According to him, securing an international client is only the beginning. The real challenge is consistently delivering quality work that earns trust and repeat business. He cautioned against the temptation to prioritise short-term gains over long-term reputation.
In a global marketplace where businesses rely heavily on referrals and reputation, a single poor experience can close doors to future opportunities.
Conversely, companies that consistently meet expectations create a cycle of trust that generates repeat customers, partnerships, and new business opportunities.
“If you get consulted by a company somewhere in the U.S., you are paid an amount of money. You have to do a particular amount of work. You just do some shabby work, put a few things together, or put a few boys together, get something, ship it to them, and it doesn’t work. “I’m not sure they are coming to you the next day. Repeat customers will not come. It will not happen,” he narrated.
He stressed, “You need to build that credibility, build that standard, be known for it.”
A Call for a Mindset Shift
Eli Banini believes that if more youth-led businesses embrace international standards from the outset, they can significantly improve their chances of competing beyond Ghana’s borders.
Rather than asking what is acceptable locally, he encouraged entrepreneurs to ask whether their products, services, and systems can compete anywhere in the world.
This requires investing in quality control, professional certifications, structured processes, continuous learning, and a commitment to excellence even when customers are not demanding it.
For many startups, these investments may appear costly in the short term. However, he suggests that the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial effort.
The Bottomline
As governments, development partners, and financial institutions continue to support youth entrepreneurship, the CEO and founder of Digiits believes access to funding and innovative ideas alone are not enough to build sustainable businesses.
To break global barriers, entrepreneurs must build trust. To build trust, they must maintain standards.
In an increasingly interconnected world where Ghanaian businesses can serve clients across continents, the difference between remaining local and becoming global may simply be the willingness to embrace standards the international market approves.
