Ghana validates National E-commerce Strategy

Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, with support from the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has convened stakeholders to validate Ghana’s National E-commerce Strategy draft document. 

Held in Accra, the gathering brought together senior government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, civil society, and academia to review and refine the National E-commerce Strategy.

Participants focused on assessing the strategy’s objectives, implementation plans, governance structure, and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. There was strong consensus on the growing relevance of e-commerce in today’s digital economy and its potential to boost trade, spur entrepreneurship, generate jobs, and bridge the digital divide between urban and rural communities.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the acting UN Resident Coordinator, Osama Makkawi, the National Peace and Development Advisor at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, Mathias Ateng, described the strategy as “a transformational roadmap designed to unlock the full potential of digital trade as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth, job creation, and the formalisation of MSMEs, particularly those led by women and youth.” He also highlighted the UN’s continued support for enhancing the digital ecosystem in Ghana through the work of UNCDF, UNDP, and UNCTAD, under the Leveraging Digital Ecosystems for Improved MSME Productivity Joint Programme, funded by the European Union under the Joint SDG Fund Digital Transformation Round (2023) which focuses on building national capacity for planning and implementing inclusive e-commerce reforms. Mr. Ateng further stressed that technology now defines global competitiveness, and Ghana must act quickly to ensure no one is left behind.

The Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Sampson Ahi (MP), commended participants for their continued commitment to the development of the National E-commerce Strategy. He underscored its significance to Ghana’s broader economic transformation agenda, stating, “The strategy is not the finish line. Rather, it marks the beginning of a coordinated national effort to make e-commerce work for all Ghanaians.”

The Chief of the Digital Economy Capacity-Building Section at UNCTAD, Ms. Cecile Barayre-El Shami, highlighted the organization's continued collaboration with Ghana and ECOWAS in strengthening national and regional digital frameworks. “Our goal has been to enhance the strategic policy framework of Ghana in the area of e-commerce and build the capacity of policymakers and other stakeholders to effectively plan, lead, implement, and monitor e-commerce reforms,” she said.

The Director of the Innovations Directorate at the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Mr. Emmanuel Ofori, described the strategy as “a milestone in our policy cycle and a definitive step toward the future we seek, where every Ghanaian can participate meaningfully in the digital economy.”

The draft strategy represents the culmination of over a year of policy analysis and collaborative stakeholder engagement, spearheaded by the Ministry of Trade with support from the UN system. During the validation workshop, stakeholders offered valuable feedback on the strategy’s content, structure, and proposed implementation pathways. They also commended the inclusive and collaborative approach taken in developing the document.