By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, May 19, GNA – Stakeholders at a Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) investment forum in Accra have called for stronger partnerships between investors and small businesses to address financing constraints in Ghana’s agri-food sector.
The forum, held on the theme: “Scaling Impact in Ghana’s Agri-Food Sector,” brought together investors, agribusinesses and development partners to explore opportunities for growth and long-term collaboration.
Ms Dolores Dickson, Executive Director of DENSU Associates, said the organisation was honoured to collaborate with the Nkabom Collaborative to support SMEs in Ghana.
The forum was organised by the Nkabom Collaborative in partnership with DENSU Associates, the Mastercard Foundation, the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and other stakeholders.
Ms Dickson said the nationwide search for participating businesses highlighted the resilience of Ghanaian SMEs.
She said more than 100 SMEs were visited, with 50 shortlisted for interviews before 40 businesses were selected to participate in the forum.
Ms Dickson said the selected SMEs received investment readiness training to position them for partnerships and business expansion opportunities.
She said SMEs accounted for about 90 per cent of businesses in Ghana, employed approximately 85 per cent of the workforce and contributed about 70 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
Ms Dickson, however, said less than half of SMEs had received investment support, with only 28 per cent accessing bank financing and less than 11 per cent securing private equity funding.
She said traditional banks and private equity funds often did not adequately serve SMEs because of stringent collateral requirements, high interest rates and demands for established track records.
Ms Dickson said the financing gap continued to hinder the growth of SMEs despite their contributions to job creation, rural development and national food security.
She said the forum sought to bridge the financing gap by connecting investor-ready agribusinesses with diverse capital providers through a structured platform for deal-making, partnerships and ecosystem strengthening.
Ms Dickson said DENSU Associates was working with the Mastercard Foundation, AGI, private sector stakeholders and six universities in Ghana and Canada to support youth-led enterprises.
She said the initiative aimed to support 3,000 youth-led SMEs and create 55,000 jobs for young people aged between 15 and 35 over the next seven years.
Ms Dickson said this year’s forum showcased 40 vetted Ghanaian nutrition and agri-food SMEs seeking to raise at least GH¢25 million in growth and working capital financing.
She said the forum was expected to become an annual platform to strengthen collaboration between capital providers and SMEs in agriculture, climate resilience and the circular economy sectors in Ghana.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Morkporkpor Anku