Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called for bold and deliberate action to place small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women and young people at the centre of Africa’s economic transformation, stressing that the continent’s future cannot be built without fully empowering these groups.
Speaking at the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2026 in Accra under the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade,” the Vice President said Africa stands at a defining moment where policy intent must translate into measurable impact for ordinary citizens.
She conveyed the greetings of President John Dramani Mahama, who was unable to attend due to other international commitments, and reaffirmed Ghana’s strong support for advocacy platforms that complement the work of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), headquartered in Accra.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang noted that President Mahama recently told the United Nations that Africa would shape the future, a conviction anchored in the belief that inclusive growth is non-negotiable.
“A future that excludes young people, women and small enterprises is not one we can afford,” she stated, adding that Ghana’s “reset agenda” seeks to move the country and the continent from dependency to self-reliance, from fragmentation to integration, and from exporting potential to building prosperity at home.
She described AfCFTA as a historic opportunity, representing a market of 1.3 billion people, and emphasized that SMEs form the backbone of Africa’s economies, generating over 80 per cent of employment and a significant share of GDP.
The Vice President also highlighted the enormous demographic advantage of the continent, with women constituting nearly half of Africa’s workforce and youth accounting for more than 60 per cent of the population.
However, she expressed concern that fewer than 20 per cent of SMEs participate in export trade, while women and young entrepreneurs continue to face barriers to finance, mobility, skills development and market access.
“These gaps, if left unaddressed, will keep many of our economies trapped in low-productivity models—exporting raw materials, importing finished goods and losing our brightest talents to migration,” she warned.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang called for accelerated industrialisation, expanded intra-African trade, stronger institutions and effective governance, as well as sustained investment in infrastructure, innovation and digital connectivity.
She outlined Ghana’s contributions to this shared continental agenda, including the 24-hour economy initiative and the government’s big-push infrastructure programme, both aimed at unlocking productivity, reducing bottlenecks and positioning Ghana as a competitive hub within the ECOWAS and African Union frameworks.
The Vice President urged African governments to pursue long- and medium-term development policies, strengthen development finance institutions and deepen regional integration.
“Africa must unite. This is not about erasing sovereignty; it is about organising our sovereignty in service of shared prosperity,” she said.
She concluded by charging participants to ensure that APD 2026 is remembered not only for discussions, but for concrete commitments and results that translate into jobs, thriving enterprises and rising living standards across the continent.
By Sampson Kumah Ifeetwube Elvis
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