We need committed partners willing to build with us – Victor Smith

Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Washington, D.C., Ambassador Victor Emmanuel Smith, has called on American investors and the Ghanaian diaspora in Tennessee to become willing partners to help build alongside the many changes and developments which are ongoing in Ghana under President John Mahama, for shared prosperity.

In defining his concept of shared prosperity, the Ambassador explained that the most enduring partnerships are those in which both partners succeed. Where investors earn competitive returns, and Ghana gains industrial capacity, technology, exports, skills, and sustainable employment.

He emphasized that Africa is the next great economic frontier and Ghana is ready to be a gateway to that future. Therefore, the friendship between Ghana and the United States serves as a strong foundation on which to build.

He pointed out that it was time to move from conversation to collaboration, from opportunity to enterprise, and from enterprise to jobs and prosperity.

"Ghana is open for business. Come, invest, build and grow with us,” he reiterated.

The Ambassador was addressing the Ghana–Tennessee Business & Investor Roundtable on Thursday, October 29, which brought together Tennessee business leaders, investors, and institutional stakeholders for a structured dialogue on investment opportunities in Ghana.

Accompanying the Ambassador were the Board Chair of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Mrs. Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, and Mr. Michael Yamson, Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).

Mrs. Obuobia Darko-Opoku mentioned that the areas of operation where the Ghana Medical Trust Fund would need partners were the retooling of specialist hospitals, training health professionals, research into non-communicable diseases, and partnerships with pharmaceutical companies willing to set up manufacturing plants in Ghana to augment what already exists.

Mr. Yamson said the DACF has a constitutional mandate of disbursing at least 5% of national revenue for local development. He said the need is to bring industry-specific partnerships into local economic development in the areas of agriculture under the Ghana Agro Fund, climate resilience adaptation and mitigation involving waste-to-energy, carbon credits, and the grants to commerce programme, where the grant source actually benefits from their investment.

The visit represents a significant opportunity to advance Ghana’s trade, agribusiness, and investment interests within one of the United States’ most dynamic and strategically positioned economies. Tennessee is home to a robust agricultural sector, a rapidly growing advanced manufacturing base, and a businessclimate that has consistently ranked among the most competitive in the nation.

The state has proximity to major distribution corridors and established networks across the food, logistics, and technology industries.

The meeting was hosted by Spencer Fane LLP and facilitated in partnership with the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority, the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Conscious Group led by Dr. Isaac Adae.

The session was designed to produce actionable outcomes for cross-border commerce and partnership.