Accra, 20 October 2026 – The Stakeholder Validation and Action-Planning Workshop took place in Accra as part of the AREA Africa Ghana project. The event brought together the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mrs. Laura Ranalli, representatives of public and private Business Support Organisations (BSOs), and other key stakeholders from the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, including financial institutions, universities, public authorities and private businesses.

The discussions highlighted a clear priority: supporting startups and businesses that are already generating revenue (post-revenue) and shifting the focus towards enterprises with the greatest potential to create jobs, generate wealth and deliver lasting impact. Participants agreed on the need to direct support towards these businesses, while the BSOs committed to working together on the design of a growth acceleration programme based on CIHEAM Bari’s entrepreneurship support methodology.

A central focus of the event was strengthening Ghana’s innovation ecosystem and promoting youth entrepreneurship in the agri-food sector. The participating BSOs will contribute to the identification and support of 20 local startups through a structured process designed to strengthen entrepreneurial skills, foster innovation and improve access to financing opportunities.

The workshop was held under the project “Strengthening agri-food ecosystems in Ghana in partnership with the Italian private sector” – AREA Africa Ghana – which forms part of Italy’s broader international cooperation programme, implemented within a balanced public-private partnership framework under the Mattei Plan for Africa. It falls within the Action for the Strengthening of Agro-Food Ecosystems in Africa (AREA Africa), co-financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). Within this framework, CIHEAM Bari acts as knowledge partner and implementing body for the public component, while BF International acts as private partner. Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) is the national public partner.

Through AREA Africa Ghana, CIHEAM Bari is helping to strengthen cooperation between Italy and Ghana by promoting public-private partnerships, developing local expertise and creating new opportunities for young entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector.