Policy-makers urged to remove investment barriers at Global Africa Summit

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Investment Network (AIN), Jane Reindorf, has urged policy-makers to remove barriers that discourage investment in Ghana. She made the appeal during the two-day Global Africa Summit held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra from December 11-12.

The Global Africa Summit is an initiative of the Africa Investment Network designed to unite Africa and its global diaspora under a shared vision of economic collaboration and sustainable development. The summit provides a platform for governments, investors, policy-makers and industry leaders to discuss opportunities that can accelerate growth across the continent.

Held in major cities across the world, the summit focuses on promoting trade, investment, innovation and entrepreneurship. It also highlights the critical role of diaspora capital and partnerships in unlocking Africa’s potential in sectors such as technology, renewable energy, agriculture, finance, tourism and the creative economy.

Reindorf, speaking to journalists at the summit, explained that the forum was created to explore opportunities for trade and investment in Ghana across different sectors.

She noted that although the country was showing visible development, a more supportive environment would help attract and retain investors, especially those from the diaspora. She observed that people in the diaspora come to Ghana through different experiences and journeys, and a friendly business climate would help sustain their interest.

According to her, investors mainly look for places where their capital can grow and make meaningful impact. She pointed out that a diaspora investor with about US$200million could easily choose Kenya or South Africa if Ghana failed to create a favourable environment. For her, government must work to keep investment coming into Ghana instead of losing it to other countries.

Reindorf shared that the next day of the summit would include reflections on the event and discussions on investment opportunities in Africa’s “sixth region,” the diaspora. She added that entrepreneurs would present bankable projects to both in-person and virtual investors as part of efforts to link ideas with funding. She described this as the moment “the magic happens,” and expressed appreciation for the support of the network’s investment partner, John Morris.

Reindorf highlighted that African Americans, Brazilians and Caribbean communities form a strong base of potential investors. She said the Africa Investment Network hopes to engage these groups and direct their interest toward Ghana by building the right platform.

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