By Agnes Ansah, GNA
Accra, Nov.14, GNA-Ghana has officially launched the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) /TikTok Digital Commerce Lab (DCL), to strengthen the digital capability and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Lab would also equip entrepreneurs with knowledge, skills, and tools to turn digital opportunities into sustainable businesses.
Speaking at the launch in Accra, Mr. Mohamed Samara, Acting Chair of ICC Ghana explained that the DCL was created to first to train SMEs, young entrepreneurs and women-led businesses with practical skills in content creation, digital marketing, online storefront management, and customer engagement.
The Lab he said would, through the ICC global network, link Ghanaian businesses to international standards, trade finance expertise, and export opportunities to support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Mr. Samara indicated that commerce had always been from the marketplace and trading posts to the roadside shop but indicated that in recent times attention had shifted to mobile phones, noting that millions of Ghanaians open mobile applications, discover a product, trust a creator, make a purchase all within minutes.
“The seamstress in Kumasi, a shea butter producer in Tamale, a fashion designer in Accra, or a farmer in the Volta Region can now reach customers they could never have imagined 10 years ago,” he said.
However, he stressed that access alone was not enough, noting that “visibility without capability is a missed opportunity.
He indicated that many young entrepreneurs had talent and product, but lacked digital skills, knowledge of cross-border trade, access to payment systems, and understanding of compliance and customer trust needed to turn followers into sustainable business.
He said the lab was created to fix those challenges and called on the youth to take advantage of it to build their businesses.
Ms.Tholoana Ncheke-Mahlaela, Government Relations and Public Policy Lead for TikTok, said the Lab was designed to ensure Ghanaian SMEs were not just visible online, but commercially stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the future.
She said with the introduction of the Lab, TikTok had provided the platform where businesses could tell their stories and build customer connections, while ICC brought on board global business expertise.
She said that across Ghana, millions of entrepreneurs work tirelessly to build their businesses, support their families, and contribute to national development yet many face challenges in accessing markets.
She urged entrepreneurs to treat the Lab as an investment, not just another training programme, and to apply and share the knowledge gained.
Mohammed Adams Sukparu, Deputy Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovation, who performed the official launch, commended ICC Ghana, and TikTok for the initiative.
He said the future of commerce was digital, and Ghana’s next phase of economic growth depended significantly on how effectively technology was harnessed to create businesses, expand markets, and generate employment.
Mr. Sukparu said the initiative aligned with President John Mahama’s broader economic transformation agenda, including the One Million Coders Programme and the 24-hour economy agenda, as well as the National E-Commerce Strategy being advanced by government.
He outlined four key outcomes for the partners: practical skills development, business sustainability, access to markets and finance, and measurable impact in terms of jobs and income and called on the youth to embrace it.
“Do not just chase followers, build businesses. Do not just create content, create value. The smartphones in your hands can be more than just communication devices. They can be a powerful tool for entrepreneurship,” he advised.
He appealed that benefits must not be concentrated in Accra, but must reach young people, women-owned enterprises, and rural entrepreneurs across all 16 regions.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei