Gov’t backs BOSAG to position Ghana as a premier BPO & GBS hub and deliver 100,000 jobs

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The Business Outsourcing Services Association Ghana (BOSAG) has called for stronger government backing to accelerate the growth of Ghana’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Global Business Services (GBS) sector, as part of efforts to position the country as a competitive global outsourcing destination and deliver 100,000 new jobs for young Ghanaians.

The call was made at the maiden High‑Level Government–Industry Roundtable organised by BOSAG, in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), and hosted by Concentrix, the global technology and services leader and a Fortune 500 company, under the theme: “Positioning Ghana as a Competitive Global BPO/GBS Destination: From Strategy to Execution.”

Mr. Ryan Keilloh, Country Manager of Concentrix Ghana and Senior Operations Director, David Gowu, CEO of BOSAG, Mr Kojo Hayford, Board Chair of BOSAG, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation and other key stakeholders in a group photo at the event

Opening the Roundtable, the Board Chair of BOSAG, Mr. Kojo Hayford, who is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of eSAL, stressed the critical role of government in creating an enabling policy, skills, and infrastructure environment to unlock the full potential of the GBS sector. He emphasised that deliberate government leadership and coordination are essential to building investor confidence and scaling sustainable job creation at pace.

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George delivering his remarks at the High-Level Government–Industry Roundtable on Ghana’s BPO/GBS Sector event

The engagement brought together senior government officials, industry leaders, and development partners to discuss policy coordination, investor confidence, skills development, infrastructure enablement, and market access required to strengthen Ghana’s outsourcing ecosystem.

In a presentation to the Hon. Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations and other key stakeholders, Mr. Ryan Keilloh, Country Manager of Concentrix Ghana and Senior Operations Director, highlighted how Concentrix, which operates in over 70 countries globally, has already employed more than 1,200 young people in Ghana, with over 130 employees promoted into leadership positions this year alone.

Board Chair of BOSAG, Mr. Kojo Hayford delivers a presentation on the purpose and objectives of the Roundtable discussion on Ghana's BPO/GBS Sector

Mr Keilloh further outlined the ambition of the organization to grow its presence in Ghana over time, with plans to continue creating employment opportunities for young people as demand increases, reinforcing Ghana’s position as a competitive location for global business services delivery.

Speaking at the Roundtable, Nana Aba Edzie, supported by Daniel Busscher, Senior Advisor for Digital and Technology Transformation at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, noted that discussions underscored government enablement as essential to unlocking the sector’s full potential. According to them, deliberations crystallised around five priority areas requiring urgent and coordinated action: political advocacy and investor confidence; skills alignment; demand generation; infrastructure and real estate repurposing; and market access and enabling reforms.

They stressed that stronger political ownership would send a clear signal to investors that Ghana is committed to supporting the long‑term growth of the BPO and GBS sector. They also called for stronger collaboration between government and industry under the One Million Coders Programme to establish a clear training‑to‑employment pipeline capable of linking graduates directly to opportunities within the outsourcing industry.

Nana Aba Edzie of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change leads a discussion on policy and execution at the High-Level Government–Industry Roundtable on Ghana’s BPO/GBS Sector event

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, reaffirmed government’s commitment to supporting the sector, describing BOSAG as a “critical tool” in Ghana’s digital transformation agenda. He stated that the Ministry would work closely with agencies including the Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) to strengthen investor attraction and market access initiatives.

The Minister disclosed that the One Million Coders Programme has officially commenced across more than 150 training centres nationwide, stressing that government’s focus goes beyond training numbers to ensuring clear employment outcomes. “For me, the One Million Coders is not just a political tool. It goes beyond saying we have trained one million people. The real question is what happens to those people after the training,” he said.

Hon. Samuel Nartey George welcomed BOSAG’s ambition to facilitate 100,000 new jobs and challenged the association and industry players to clearly articulate the specific skill sets required by outsourcing companies so government could tailor training programmes to meet market demand.

Key Stakeholders present at the High-Level Government–Industry Roundtable on Ghana’s BPO/GBS Sector event in a group photo

He also encouraged outsourcing firms to expand operations beyond Accra into regions where lower real estate costs and multilingual talent could support diversified service delivery. The Minister further indicated government’s readiness to repurpose state‑owned properties for BPO and GBS operations where concrete demand exists.

Chief Executive Officer of BOSAG, David Gowu, noted that Africa currently accounts for only 2.8 percent of the global outsourcing industry, despite the sector being valued at approximately US$1.5 trillion globally. He observed that while countries such as South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia are aggressively promoting themselves as outsourcing destinations, Ghana continues to grow largely through organic expansion.

Mr. Gowu revealed that global firms including Teleperformance and Concentrix have together employed over 2,500 full‑time staff in Ghana, while the broader BPO and GBS sector has created employment for more than 20,000 young people locally.

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George receives a portrait painting at the High-Level Government–Industry Roundtable on Ghana’s BPO/GBS Sector event

According to him, the sector has strong potential to absorb large numbers of unemployed graduates, generate foreign exchange earnings, and contribute to economic growth through tax revenues and auxiliary services.

“We are producing more graduates than the economy can absorb. We want companies to come to Ghana, set up here, employ our people here, and allow them to build careers while contributing meaningfully to the economy,” he added.

Rounding up the High‑Level Government–Industry Roundtable, Madam Mavis Ampah‑Sintim‑Misa, Board Chair of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and a Board Member of BOSAG, reminded participants that Ghana has reached a stage in the BPO and GBS industry where it is no longer emerging, but has emerged. She urged more local and international operators, buyers, and investors to take advantage of the opportunities Ghana offers.

She further emphasised the need for Ghana to deliberately package and communicate its positive positioning within the West African region, noting that the country’s strong fundamentals are sometimes overshadowed by negative external perceptions. According to her, a clear and confident national narrative is critical to attracting investment and sustaining momentum in the sector.