10th CEO summit launch: Speakers call for economic transformation.
Speakers at the launch of the 10th Ghana CEO Summit and Expo have urged business leaders to drive the country’s development and economic transformation through discipline, innovation and industrialisation.
They also called for a shift from policy discussions to implementation, particularly in the areas of macroeconomic stability, technology adoption and private sector-led growth.
The event took place in Accra yesterday.
The summit, which is scheduled to take place on May 28, 2026, at the Kempinski Hotel, Accra, would focus on policy dialogue, business case discussions and a presidential CEO engagement session aimed at aligning government and private sector priorities.
The theme for the event is: “Accelerating Ghana’s economic transformation: Driving bold reforms through leadership, technology, and industrialisation – From vision to action.”
Objective
The Founder of the CEO Summit, Ernest De-Graft Egyir, said the 10th edition marked a decade of deliberate national economic dialogue aimed at connecting business leadership, government policy and investment capital to shape the country’s development trajectory.
He said the summit, which began in 2016, had evolved into a key platform, influencing policy direction and private sector growth.
“After 10 years of dialogue, Ghana must now enter a decade of execution, accountability and measurable transformation. The future of the economy would be shaped by active participants rather than observers,” Mr Egyir added.
Economic stability
The Country Partner of EY Ghana, Emmanuel Adekhalor, said recent improvements in the country’s economy, including GDP growth of 5.9 per cent in 2025, and declining inflation, demonstrated that economic stability was possible.
He, however, cautioned that such gains remained fragile and required deliberate efforts to sustain.
Mr Adekhalor added that technology, particularly artificial intelligence, must be inclusive to be effective.
“This means expanding affordable broadband, investing in digital skills and strengthening cybersecurity frameworks,” he said.
Local capacity
The Chief Executive Officer of Margins Group, Moses Baiden Jnr, called for building local capacity and resilience, particularly in technology and industrial production, following increasing geopolitical tensions and disruptions, which posed risks to the country’s development.
He also called for value addition to local resources and increased support for private sector innovation.
The Chief Executive Officer of Nguvu Mining, Angela List, also said that economic transformation required bold, disciplined and accountable leadership that built trust, strengthened institutions and kept policy steady.
“Strategic leaders must understand the full ecosystem, not just their own corner of it,” she said.
The Group Head of McDan Group, Daniel McKorley, said that although there had been improvements in macroeconomic stability, more needed to be done to ensure that such gains translated into lower costs of living and improved business conditions.
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), Philip Oti-Mensah, challenged CEOs to focus on execution rather than rhetoric.
He said the country already had numerous strategies and policies, but lacked discipline in implementation and accountability.
