Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr. Alex Apau Dadey, Executive Chairman of the KGL Group and former Board Chairman of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), has called on African leaders and the private sector to forge stronger partnerships to build global business giants capable of competing on the world stage.
He made the call in New York during the opening address at the Forward Africa Leaders Symposium 2025, held in partnership with the Africa Peer Review Mechanism at NASDAQ, the home of global enterprise.
The event brought together distinguished leaders including H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of Namibia; Mr. Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane, Prime Minister of Lesotho; H.E.
Mohamed AbdulEnien, Deputy Speaker of the Egyptian Parliament and Chair of Cleopatra Group; and Mr. Ralph Mupita, President and CEO of MTN Group, to deliberate on digital transformation, innovation and partnership opportunities across Africa.
Mr. Dadey said Africa’s transformation depended largely on how quickly and inclusively it harnessed change through genuine and strategic Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
“The answer, I believe, lies in the strength of partnerships, genuine, strategic PPPs that unite the innovation, capital, and execution capacity of the private sector with the legitimacy, reach, and enabling authority of governments,” he stressed.
Recounting his professional journey spanning over three decades across Europe, Africa, and more than 25 countries, Mr. Dadey explained that his vision for the continent was anchored in multilateral collaboration, socio-economic inclusion of the diaspora, and technology-driven growth.
He maintained that while governments provided legitimacy and policy frameworks, it was the private sector that created wealth and drove innovation.
“Governments on their own cannot drive transformation, but sadly, private enterprises that do are most often treated as afterthoughts in national strategies,” he said.
Highlighting successful PPP models, Mr. Dadey pointed to the ethos of the KGL Group and the establishment of the KGL Foundation, which undertakes social interventions to support communities.
He said wealth generated through such collaborations must leave a lasting impact on society.
In a thought-provoking challenge, he questioned why multinational corporations were able to generate wealth in Africa and repatriate it to their home countries, while African economies had yet to reverse the trend.
He urged the continent to focus on creating resilient business models and innovations tailored to its markets.
According to him, Africa must deliberately nurture “African Global Giants” that could anchor supply chains, inspire new generations of entrepreneurs, and provide patient capital.
“We need an ecosystem where a start-up in Accra can realistically envision becoming a multi-billion-dollar entity that lists here on NASDAQ,” he added.
Mr. Dadey urged African leaders to celebrate and support their own champions.
“We cannot build economies of scale if we constantly cut down the tallest trees,” he declared.
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