Ghana set to host 16th African Economic Summit as Friends of Africa brings global investment dialogue to Accra

From boardrooms to start-up pitches, Ghana is preparing to become the meeting point for investors, governments, entrepreneurs and businesses from Africa and North America as the Friends of Africa Economic Summit makes its Ghanaian debut with an ambitious mission, “Turning partnerships and ideas into sustainable investment opportunities.”

Ghana is set to host the 16th African Economic Summit, marking a major milestone in the Friends of Africa (FOA) initiative as the organization brings 15 years of experience hosting economic summits in North America to the African continent.

The two-day Friends of Africa Economic Summit 2026 is scheduled for September 17–18, 2026, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra, under the theme, “Building Sustainable Futures: Scaling Investment Partnerships in Ghana.”

The summit is expected to bring together business leaders, government representatives, investors, entrepreneurs, founders and professionals for discussions and networking focused on strengthening investment partnerships and creating practical opportunities for economic growth.

According to the organizers, the Ghana edition represents an effort to share the experience gained from 15 years of hosting the African Economic Summit in North America with African counterparts, beginning with Ghana.

The programme will begin with informal Friends of Africa sessions from September 16–17, including one-on-one meetings with founders. A private reception for speakers and sponsors is also scheduled for September 17.

The main programme on September 18 will feature a full-day combination of business, government and investment discussions, including plenary sessions, expert panels, fireside conversations, government-to-government and business-to-business meetings, exhibitions and networking opportunities.

One of the major attractions will be a start-up pitch competition featuring 40 start-ups presenting their value propositions before investors and funding groups in the hope of competing for seed capital.

The organizers say the summit will also provide a marketplace where selected Canadian companies seeking partnerships in Ghana can connect with professionals and businesses.

The discussions are expected to focus on critical areas including funding, partnerships and infrastructure development opportunities, while also providing opportunities for knowledge sharing and business-to-business engagement.

Beyond the formal business sessions, the summit will showcase Ghanaian food, music and entrepreneurial talent, adding a cultural dimension to the economic and investment discussions.

Friends of Africa is also inviting organizations to participate as sponsors, offering several sponsorship categories ranging from US$3,000 for FOA Supporters to US$20,000 for Platinum Sponsors.

The Platinum package includes prominent branding, speaking opportunities, VIP access, marketplace tables, advertising in the FOA Magazine, social media promotion and recognition in the summit's impact report.

Gold Sponsors, at US$10,000, will receive branding opportunities around the pitch competition and opportunities to engage with seed-capital winners, while Silver and Bronze sponsors will receive varying levels of visibility, speaking, networking and marketplace opportunities.

The organization said sponsorship support would help strengthen the FOA platform and facilitate the summit's broader objectives of connecting businesses, investors and governments.

The summit is being led in Ghana by Prof. Odoi Yemoh, Chair of the African Economic Summit Committee, Ghana 2026, alongside Nardos Sebro, Executive Lead for Partnerships and Sponsors at Friends of Africa-Global.

With Ghana increasingly seeking to position itself as a destination for investment, entrepreneurship and international business partnerships, the summit could provide an important platform for turning conversations into concrete commercial relationships.

At its core, however, the Friends of Africa Economic Summit is presenting a broader proposition: Africa's economic future will require partnerships that move beyond dialogue and translate ideas, capital and innovation into sustainable opportunities.

Organizations interested in participating or sponsoring the summit are encouraged to register early and join this important global conversation on building stronger investment partnership and expanding opportunities for African businesses to contact Friends of Africa-Global through foaglobal@friendsofafrica.ca or visit the Ghanaian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce for registration and further information.

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