“Mahama Gets Real at Kwahu Business Forum: ‘Trustworthy Workers Are Ghana’s Biggest Business Challenge’”
While most people went to Kwahu for the thrill, music, and paragliding, others gathered for a deeper purpose — building Ghana’s economic future. The 2025 Kwahu Business Forum, held in Mpraeso, brought together key business minds, investors, and policymakers. And the star of the show? Former President John Dramani Mahama, who delivered a speech that cut through the noise and touched on one of the most overlooked but pressing issues in Ghanaian entrepreneurship: trust.
Mahama didn’t hold back. In front of a packed room of entrepreneurs and stakeholders, he opened up about a personal experience that many business owners could relate to — how he once funded a transport business, only for it to collapse because the person managing it, a relative, failed to run it responsibly.
“I realized the biggest challenge wasn’t even capital,” he shared, “it was finding someone you can trust to manage your business when you're not around.”
That statement hit home for many in the room and quickly went viral online. In a country where small businesses make up the backbone of the economy, and where many founders rely on friends and family to run operations, Mahama’s message was both timely and brutally honest.
He further explained how a lack of dependable workers forces many Ghanaian business owners to either shut down prematurely or hand over management to foreign nationals — simply because they feel they can't rely on local hires. “It’s a hard truth,” Mahama added, “but we must face it if we’re serious about building sustainable businesses.”
But the forum wasn’t just about diagnosing problems. Mahama also offered a roadmap. He emphasized the need for financial support systems like the Ghana Development Bank and the upcoming Women Development Bank. These institutions, he said, will be crucial in giving young entrepreneurs and women access to capital at reasonable rates.
The forum’s broader theme, “The Future of Business: The Role of the Financial Sector,” also sparked dialogue about how to reshape Ghana’s economic landscape. Key areas discussed included agro-processing, ICT, renewable energy, tourism, and the green economy — sectors Mahama believes should be central to Ghana’s economic revival.
He called for a more inclusive economy, one where both the informal and formal sectors can thrive together. He also urged the government and private sector to come together and create better structures for mentorship, monitoring, and ethical workforce development.
The Kwahu Business Forum is increasingly becoming more than a side event to the Easter festivities — it's a launchpad for bold ideas and national conversations. And with voices like Mahama’s pushing uncomfortable but necessary truths, it’s clear this platform is evolving into something much bigger.
As the music fades and the paragliders land, one thing remains: Ghana’s path to true economic transformation won’t just rely on money — it will rely on trust, strategy, and leadership.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0