Business Desk Report
Women businesses are advised to be more collaborative and bolder in pushing the frontiers of growth in Africa.
“Women business owners must learn to cultivate the habit of partnerships and collaboration amongst themselves if we are to significantly contribute to Africa’s economic growth sustainably,” the Board Chair of Absa Bank Ghana, Frances Adu-Mante said.
She made the call at the Absa Ghana Inspire Me conference held in Accra last week on the theme: “Empowering women’s economic growth together.”
The conference brought together prominent African women businesses and entrepreneurs to share ideas, empower each other and discuss emerging trends and skills necessary to transform their institutions and propel them to various levels of growth.
It was also to support women-owned businesses with value-added financial solutions to drive sustainable growth.
A Nigerian entrepreneur, Ibukun Awosika, emphasized that no one loses in any thriving economy when women are given the platform to lead and create value consistently.
Therefore, she urged male entrepreneurs to support the growth and sustainability of women businesses instead of approaching it with a competitive lens.
For his part the Managing Partner at AB & David Law, a continental legal firm, David Ofosu-Dorte, said changes to intra-Africa travel and policies such as African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) have narrowed the challenges of distance, tariffs and language on the continent, leaving women with no excuse not to succeed.
The Managing Director at Absa bank Ghana, Abena Osei-Poku, said: “the conference was a true opportunity for us to lead from the front in how we support, inspire and empower women businesses on the continent.
Women are critical to progress; their dreams, ideas and voices matter and we have a responsibility to continue creating avenues for them to succeed.”
As part of the conference, an exhibition forum was organised for business owners from Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia and South Africa, to display their products and services to participants and the general public.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
