Ghana Impact Summit 2026 Convenes to Mobilize Local Capital for SMEs
The third Ghana Impact Summit, held on March 24, 2026, at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, brought together key stakeholders in the financial services and entrepreneurship sector to discuss scaling impact through mobilizing local capital for locally-led change. The summit, convened by Impact Investing Ghana (IIGh), focused on accelerating the mobilization of domestic capital for investing in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to deliver transformative, locally-driven solutions.
In her welcome remarks, Amma Lartey, CEO of Impact Investing Ghana, emphasized the critical role SMEs play in Ghana’s economy, contributing significantly to GDP and employment. However, she noted that these businesses remain underserved in access to funding despite their deep impact on national development. “Over $600 billion in domestic institutional capital exists across Africa, and just imagine what it would mean if even a fraction of that were unlocked for businesses capable of delivering real returns,” she said.
The summit featured leaders from Axis Wealth, Petra Trust, Kuramo Capital, CardinalStone Capital Advisers, and IIGh, who discussed harnessing Ghana’s domestic wealth to fuel inclusive growth. A landmark presentation unveiled Ci-Gaba, Ghana’s first pension-backed Fund of Funds, demonstrating how pension capital can be channeled into SMEs.
Alex Asiedu, Board Chair of IIGh, stressed the need for local capital to drive growth, stating, “It’s not good enough when local capital tolerates mediocrity, when standards are weak and when it sometimes favours relationship over performance.”
The summit also highlighted the importance of gender finance, with women leaders sharing their experiences on turning gender finance into economic power. Deal rooms curated by DealSource Africa connected pre-screened entrepreneurs with investors, accelerating capital flow into high-potential ventures.
Breakout sessions explored critical themes including government interventions for SMEs, agribusiness financing challenges, reforming banking and microfinance, and leveraging carbon markets for SME growth. The summit concluded with a closing plenary session moderated by Percival Ofori Ampomah, General Manager of the Venture Capital Trust Fund, outlining concrete next steps to ensure commitments translate into measurable impact.
Michael Abbey, CEO of Venture Capital Trust Fund (VCTF), emphasized the opportunity to build an ecosystem where capital consistently finds the right businesses, and impact is not accidental but by design. “The opportunity before us is not just to invest. It is to build an ecosystem where capital consistently finds the right businesses, and where impact is not accidental and by design,” he said.
The Ghana Impact Summit is a flagship event designed to catalyze conversations, partnerships, and investments driving inclusive and sustainable growth. Since its inception, the summit has become a premier platform for mobilizing capital and amplifying locally-led solutions.
Impact Investing Ghana acknowledged co-hosts GSG Impact and Africa Impact Investing Group (AIIG), with support from strategic partners including Global Gateway, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other organizations.
