By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, May 1, GNA – Mr Victor Smith Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, , has held high-level discussions with Senior Executives of Microsoft Corporation and Boeing as part of a strategic business tour aimed at advancing Ghana’s digital transformation and aviation development agenda.
The engagements form part of a broader initiative by the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, D.C. to attract investment, deepen technology partnerships, and promote skills development for the country’s growing youth population.
At Microsoft’s headquarters in Seattle, Mr Smith underscored the urgency of leveraging global technology partnerships to drive national development.
“We are here to encourage big organisations like Microsoft to assist us in what you do best in ICT, so our young people can be trained properly and contribute to development at home rather than migrating abroad,” he said.
He noted that Ghana was seeking collaboration with global technology leaders to equip its youth with modern ICT skills to enable them contribute meaningfully to national development.
Mr Brandon Burns, Corporate Vice President for Azure Native Platform and Engineering, said the convergence of AI and cloud infrastructure was lowering barriers to innovation.
“With cloud and AI, you do not t need the infrastructure next to you to innovate. You can empower people where they are and innovation was no longer limited by geography,” he said.
Ms Nina Marini, Global Sales Lead for Microsoft Elevate, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to inclusive digital growth and sustainable partnerships that connect technology deployment with workforce development.
She also pointed to the strong ties between Ghana and the company, adding that its Seattle headquarters employs more than 150 Ghanaians across engineering, product design, security, sales, and senior management roles.
As a follow-up, Sandy Abrah, ISCE and Azure Cloud Security Lead at Microsoft, is expected to lead a team to develop a structured proposal for a long-term technology partnership with the Ghanaian government.
Following the Microsoft engagement, the delegation visited Boeing, where discussions centred on strategic collaboration towards the revival of Ghana’s national airline, Ghana Airways.
Mr Smith highlighted the importance of a strong national carrier in supporting Ghana’s trade, tourism, and investment drive.
“We would appreciate a partnership with Boeing in securing appropriate equipment to ensure that the rebirth of a national carrier does not elude us,” he said.
Madam Rachel Peterson, Senior Manager at Boeing, who led the delegation expressed optimism about Ghana’s aviation sector and its potential to serve as a regional transportation hub.
Discussions explored areas of collaboration, including fleet acquisition, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities, aviation training, and broader capacity development.
Ghanaian business leaders accompanying the delegation also called for the establishment of a Ghanaian consular office in Seattle to support growing commercial and investment ties between Ghana and the Pacific Northwest.
They noted that such a presence would facilitate business engagements and improve access to consular services for Ghanaian professionals and enterprises operating in the region.
The engagements reflect Ghana’s broader effort to build strategic partnerships with global industry leaders in technology and aviation, positioning the country for sustained economic transformation and enhanced regional competitiveness.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Morkporkpor Anku