By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The Business
Outsourcing Services Association of Ghana (BOSAG), in partnership with Ghana
Digital Centres Limited (GDCL) and the Ghana High Commission in the United
Kingdom, successfully convened a High‑Level Global Business Services Executive
Roundtable in London, United Kingdom. The event, hosted at the Ghana High
Commission in Belgrave Square, brought together senior government officials,
global industry leaders, investors, and key ecosystem stakeholders to engage in
a focused dialogue on Ghana’s emergence as a competitive outsourcing and
digital services destination for the United Kingdom and European markets.
The session was
moderated by Mr. Samuel Kasumu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Archeva
Outsourcing and Former Senior Advisor to the UK Prime Minister, whose opening
reflections set a strong contextual tone. Drawing on his Powered by Africa
initiative, he underscored the need to reshape global perceptions of Africa,
highlighting that the continent is already playing a significant role in
powering global industries through talent, innovation, and enterprise.
Strengthening
Ghana–UK Economic Collaboration
The Roundtable
built on the momentum of the Ghana–UK Investment Summit held earlier in the
week, reinforcing Ghana’s commitment to deepening bilateral trade and
investment engagement, particularly in the fast‑growing global services
economy. The Summit reaffirmed the strength of the Ghana–United Kingdom
partnership and advanced practical discussions on trade expansion, investment
flows, and economic transformation.
In his opening
remarks, H.E. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Deputy High Commissioner of the Republic
of Ghana to the United Kingdom, highlighted Ghana’s transition toward a
production‑, innovation‑, and export‑led growth model. He noted that Ghana
stands at a pivotal moment in its economic evolution, as it shifts from
reliance on primary commodities to a more diversified and value-driven economy
anchored in industrialisation and services exports.
Central to this
transformation is the Government’s 24‑Hour Economy Agenda, designed to maximise
productivity, expand economic activity, and create sustainable employment
opportunities. Within this broader reset, Global Business Services and Business
Process Outsourcing are emerging as key pillars for driving export growth,
enhancing competitiveness, and creating high-quality jobs.
He further
emphasised Ghana’s strong alignment with the United Kingdom, noting the
advantages of a shared time zone, strong English proficiency, and cultural
compatibility, which together create a seamless nearshore service delivery
environment.
Ghana Targets
Global Leadership in Digital Outsourcing
Delivering the
keynote address, Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP), Minister for Communication,
Digital Technology and Innovations, outlined Ghana’s ambition to become
Africa’s leading hub for outsourcing and digital services. He highlighted that
the country is moving from potential to execution, positioning digital services
as key export drivers alongside traditional sectors.
He explained
that Ghana’s strategy is anchored on the digitalisation of public services, the
productisation of exportable digital services, and integration into global
markets through the African Continental Free Trade Area, providing access to a
market of approximately 1.5 billion people.
Talent,
Infrastructure and Scale Readiness
The Minister
highlighted Ghana’s strong fundamentals as a global delivery hub, noting that
over 100,000 graduates enter the workforce annually, supported by a growing
base of more than 500,000 English‑proficient professionals. Ghana’s location
within the Greenwich Mean Time zone enables real-time service delivery to key
global markets. Supported by the 24‑Hour Economy framework, Ghana is building a
round‑the‑clock operational model, positioning the country to meet growing
global demand for outsourcing and digital services.
Operationalising
the Vision: GDCL Building the Engine
Providing an
execution-focused perspective, Mr. Dzifa Gunu, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana
Digital Centres Limited, emphasised that Ghana has moved beyond promotion to
implementation. He highlighted GDCL’s role as the Government’s operational
vehicle responsible for infrastructure delivery, ecosystem development, and
investor enablement, ensuring that investors can move seamlessly from interest
to operation.
Infrastructure
Expansion and Digital Backbone Maturity
Madam Mavis
Ampah Sintim‑Misa, Board Chair of the National Communications Authority,
highlighted Ghana’s significant transformation into a high-capacity digital
economy. She noted that the country has evolved from an environment of limited
connectivity in the early 2000s, when mobile penetration was below 10 percent
and internet access was approximately 2 percent, with no international
submarine cable connectivity.
Today, Ghana
has over 44 million mobile subscriptions and approximately 30 million active
data subscriptions, reflecting widespread digital access. This growth has been
supported by multiple submarine fibre cables, providing redundancy and
enhancing international bandwidth capacity.
Ghana now
operates within a competitive, multi-operator telecommunications environment,
supported by extensive terrestrial fibre backbone networks that span the
country and expanding broadband infrastructure investments. These developments
have significantly improved connectivity speeds, service reliability, and
access to digital services across both urban and emerging locations.
This
transformation has created a resilient and reliable digital backbone capable of
supporting large-scale outsourcing operations and enabling Ghana to compete
effectively in global services delivery, while also unlocking opportunities for
innovation, digital entrepreneurship, and technology-enabled growth.
24‑Hour Economy
as a Driver of Structural Transformation
Mr. Abdul
Nasser Alidu Suglo, Chief Programme Officer of the 24‑Hour Economy and
Accelerated Export Development Secretariat, highlighted the broader economic
rationale behind the initiative. He noted that economic growth has not always
translated proportionately into job creation, underscoring the need for a more
inclusive and productivity-driven economic model.
The 24‑Hour
Economy Programme is designed to address this by driving exports, expanding
productive capacity, and enabling large-scale job creation. Within this
framework, the BPO sector plays a central role, supported by investments in
infrastructure, including large-scale BPO parks and integrated facilities
designed to support sector scaling.
Industry
Leaders Panel: Operating and Scaling from Ghana
A central
highlight of the Roundtable was the Industry Leaders Panel, moderated by Mr.
Joel Walker, Co‑Founder of The Knowledge Group, and featuring Mr. Ryan Keilloh,
Country Manager and Senior Director of Concentrix Ghana; Mr. Elhadi Ouadghiri
Bencherif, Country Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Teleperformance
Ghana; Mr. Kojo Hayford, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of eServices
Africa; and Ms. Deborah Asmah, Chief Marketing and Operations Officer of Npontu
Technologies.
The panel
provided practical, operator-led insights into Ghana’s growing role as a global
delivery destination. Panelists affirmed that Ghana has evolved into a proven
and scalable outsourcing location, with companies already delivering services
for major international clients.
They
highlighted the strength of Ghana’s talent pool, its growing technical
capabilities, and its transition into higher-value, technology-driven services.
Artificial intelligence was identified as a key enabler of growth, supporting
hybrid delivery models that combine human expertise with advanced technologies.
The panel also reinforced Ghana’s advantages in flexibility, scalability, and
cost competitiveness, confirming that the country is actively scaling as a
competitive and future-ready global services hub.
Investor
Confidence: ADEC Innovations
Providing
further validation, Mr. James Donovan, Chief Executive Officer of ADEC
Innovations, shared insights into the company’s decision to establish
operations in Ghana. He noted that Ghana emerged as a strong candidate
following a rigorous global evaluation process. He highlighted the evolving
nature of the outsourcing industry toward more advanced, technology-enabled and
outcome-driven models, and noted that Ghana’s talent, infrastructure, and
ecosystem readiness position it well for this transition. He concluded that
Ghana represents both a compelling investment opportunity and a platform for
long-term growth and impact.
Conclusion
The High‑Level
Global Business Services Executive Roundtable marked a significant milestone in
Ghana’s journey toward becoming a globally competitive, scalable, and
execution-ready outsourcing destination. The alignment between government
policy, GDCL’s operational leadership, BOSAG’s industry coordination, and
increasing private sector participation reflects a growing ecosystem capable of
supporting global service delivery at scale. BOSAG remains committed to
accelerating sector growth, attracting investment, and positioning Ghana as a
preferred destination for global business services.
