Ghana has commemorated its first official celebration of International MSME Day with a compelling call for transformation, digital inclusion, and strategic reform in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
The national event, held on Friday, June 27, 2025, at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, was spearheaded by Madam Margaret Ansei, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), who described the occasion as a milestone moment in Ghana’s enterprise development journey.
In her welcome address, Madam Ansei underscored the centrality of MSMEs to Ghana’s economic future, describing them as the heartbeat of the nation’s economy.
She highlighted that 92 percent of registered businesses in Ghana fall under the MSME category, contributing 70 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and providing 85 percent of employment in the manufacturing sector. She emphasized that the event was more than a ceremonial gathering, but rather a convergence of stakeholders committed to reimagining and revitalizing Ghana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Under the theme “Empowering MSMEs, Connecting Entrepreneurs for a Digital and Sustainable Future,” the event brought together entrepreneurs, policymakers, development partners, and industry players to reaffirm their commitment to supporting MSMEs.
Madam Ansei detailed the GEA’s renewed strategy to build a thriving MSME environment through interventions such as expanding access to affordable finance, strengthening productivity, promoting digital capacity, supporting formalization, and opening up new markets, especially for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
She also announced the upcoming launch of the MSME Gateway Portal, developed in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The portal will serve as a digital hub where MSMEs can access essential tools, resources, and support services aimed at improving their competitiveness and sustainability in a rapidly changing economic landscape.
In her keynote address, Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, lauded Ghana’s MSMEs as bold, creative, and resilient. She acknowledged the many challenges facing the sector, including limited access to financing and digital infrastructure, but reaffirmed the government’s commitment to dismantling these barriers through decisive policy action.
She announced a renewed focus on channeling affordable lending to MSMEs, scaling industrial growth, and streamlining regulatory procedures to reduce the cost and time of doing business. She also indicated that 250,000 MSMEs would be digitally onboarded to e-commerce and business platforms as part of government’s plans for digital expansion.
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare further revealed that Ghana’s National MSME and Entrepreneurship Policy is currently being revised to reflect global trends and domestic challenges. The revised policy, she noted, will be backed by a costed implementation framework to ensure targeted execution and measurable outcomes.
The 2025 International MSME Day celebration was organized through a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, GEA, and partners such as GIZ, UNDP, UNCDF, the European Union, Stanbic Bank, MTN Ghana, among others. The day featured exhibitions, business clinics, mentorship sessions, and networking platforms designed to equip entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge, and resources to navigate the digital economy.
With strong institutional support and forward-thinking leadership from Margaret Ansei and her team at GEA, the future of Ghana’s MSMEs appears poised for digital transformation, policy alignment, and inclusive growth.
