Ghana’s entrepreneurial and business landscape is set for a major boost, thanks to a United States (US) government support and partnership initiative.
Dubbed Partnership Opportunity Delegations (POD), an initiative of the US Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships, a 16-member delegation made up of representatives of US companies and organisations focused on climate, technology and innovation is in Ghana to engage Ghanaian businesses, startups and policy makers to understand Ghana’s dynamic entrepreneurial potential and delve deeper into partnerships and investment opportunities.
The delegation yesterday engaged budding Ghanaian entrepreneurs at the Impact Hub Accra under its Net Nero Accra initiative in partnership with Impact Hub New York Metropolitan.
The session was focused on the nexus of technology and sustainability while highlighting five companies doing pioneering work in the industry across mobility, green housing and solar power technology.
Special Representative for Global Partnerships, Dorothy McAuliffe told this paper during a media interaction after the engagement that the role of the delegation was to facilitate partnerships.
She stated that “once we are here and we bring folks together, then our role is to step back and let the partnerships happen. So we’ve just provided the network and opportunity and then I’ve heard there’s a lot of interest and there’ll be a lot of follow up between the delegation and the entrepreneurs we’ve met and those like the Impact Hub who are creating an environment and an ecosystem for building these networks.”
Ms McAuliffe disclosed that funding for startup companies in the specified fields would come “when the partnership aligns and the strategic goals in the mission of the partnership align on both sides.”
Impact Hub, an amazing place
“We’ve had a wonderful visit here at the Impact Hub. It’s an amazing place that’s done great things over 10 years in terms of an ecosystem to support startups and entrepreneurs, who are thinking big and have big ideas that they need to try to scale and take to the market,” Ms McAuliffe noted.
Ghana has most incredible opportunities
She said members of the delegation from the US were interested in what’s happening in the startup culture in Ghana, so it was an amazing day and “we learned a lot.”
Ghana has been identified as having the most incredible opportunities and this wonderful opportunity is good for both governments who are really supportive of entrepreneurship and Ghana’s ecosystem.
With a population nearing 31 milllon and a high ranking among top countries for VC investment, Ghana is considered one of Africa’s top three fastest growing economies in 2021.
Currently considered a global trade hub thanks to its wealth of resources and location, Ghana was chosen by the Office of Global Partnerships as the next POD location to spur economic growth
As part of the Connecting Climate Entrepreneurs (CCE) initiative, POD Ghana 2023 aims to cultivate new engagement between the vibrant technology and innovation corridors of the
Background
POD Ghana 2023 demonstrates how the public and private sectors can contribute jointly to endeavors that strengthen, deepen, and reaffirm United States’ commitment to increasing creative collaboration with Africa nations in advancement of our shared global priorities, challenges, and opportunities.
On December 12, 2022, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced an upcoming Partnership Opportunity Delegation (POD) to Accra, Ghana.
The delegation was to travel to Accra February 6-10, 2023, to cultivate and enable collaboration and partnership opportunities between the U.S. private sector and West Africa’s burgeoning climate innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The Secretary made the announcement during the Innovators Gathering pre-summit event for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. The announcement underscores the steps the United States and African nations are taking to strengthen partnerships that advance shared priorities.
POD Ghana 2023 will be the first in-person POD since the beginning of the pandemic, and delegates include representatives from ventures and startups, educational institutions, startup ecosystem developers, climate and sustainable technology investors, Ghanaian diaspora, NGOs, and international organizations.
Numerous organizations have already committed to joining the POD, including Climate Kic, New York City’s Impact Hub, Arm, LinkedIn, and more.
