The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) hosted a delegation from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Accra and Vienna, Headquarters for a courtesy visit to explore opportunities for collaboration towards advancing industrial development in Ghana.
The UNIDO delegation was led by the Country Director, Dr. Emmanuel Kalenzi, accompanied by Mr. Emmanuel Fosu, and a delegation from Vienna headquarters Mrs. Karen Lucatero Mendez, Mrs. Nts’ebo Sephelane, Mrs. Alisha Weber, Mr. Marko Van Waveren Hogervorst, and Mr. Kipo Dari.
The delegation was received by the AGI Vice President for SMEs, Mr. Dela Gadzanku, alongside members of the AGI management and technical team at the Association’s Head Office.
Discussions focused on UNIDO’s ongoing consultations towards developing its five-year Programme for Country Partnership (PCP) for Ghana, which will guide its industrial development interventions over the next five years. The engagement provided an opportunity for AGI to share industry perspectives, highlight key challenges confronting businesses, and identify areas where strategic partnerships could support Ghana’s industrial transformation.
AGI highlighted several priority areas requiring practical interventions, including SME competitiveness and industrial upgrading, export readiness, access to technical expertise, sustainable supply chains, renewable energy, energy efficiency, decarbonisation, digital transformation, and improved access to international markets. The discussions also emphasised the importance of helping local businesses, particularly SMEs, meet evolving global sustainability and quality standards.
The discussions also explored opportunities to scale up inclusive green business initiatives, strengthen women- and youth-led enterprises, promote industrial linkages and local content development, and enhance Ghanaian businesses’ capacity to compete in regional and international markets.
Both institutions acknowledged their longstanding relationship and expressed interest in revitalising their collaboration. AGI also invited UNIDO to support its activities marking African Industrialisation Day, including initiatives that provide Ghanaian businesses with platforms to showcase locally manufactured products and promote industrial growth.
The engagement reaffirmed the importance of strong public-private and development partner collaboration in addressing industry challenges, avoiding duplication of existing interventions, and creating practical solutions that enhance productivity, competitiveness, and sustainable industrialisation.