The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has called upon business leaders in Ghana to collaborate with the government in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

To the Vice President, business leaders must play a pivotal role because of the private sector’s role in fostering innovation, job creation and driving economic growth in Ghana.

“According to the United Nations Global Compact, the private sector accounts for 60 per cent of the world’s GDP, 90 per cent of employment and 80 per cent of capital flows globally, thus the private sector’s role in the promotion of sustainable development and achieving the SDGs cannot be underestimated,” Dr Bwaumia said.

The Vice President made this known last Saturday in Accra when he delivered the keynote address at the second edition of the Ghana CEO Awards.

The awards organised by Globe Productions were themed: “The Role of Business Leadership Towards Achieving the SDGs in Ghana”. 

Poverty reduction

Dr. Bawumia highlighted the progress made in reducing poverty rates in the country, from 52% in 1991 to 23% in 2017. 

However, he pointed out that Ghana’s ranking of 107 out of 193 in the 2021 SDG index underscores the need for the private sector’s active involvement, given its substantial contribution to the nation’s GDP.

To accomplish the SDGs, the Vice President urged the private sector to promote sustainability through eco-friendly practices, collaborative efforts with stakeholders, and adoption of innovative business models that foster social and environmental well-being. 

He further called on businesses to invest in clean energy, enhance working conditions, support education and healthcare access, and contribute to community development through skills education.

While emphasizing the government’s commitment to providing an enabling environment for private sector businesses, Dr. Bawumia stressed the importance of public sector participation in achieving the SDGs, citing areas such as macro-stability, financial inclusion, and revenue mobilization.

However, he assured that the government would also play its part by providing an enabling environment for private-sector businesses to thrive.

“We cannot only leave it to the private sector in terms of achieving the SDGs, the public sector has an important role to play in areas such as macro-stability, address systems, financial inclusion through mobile money interoperability, digital payments, digital address systems, domestic revenue mobilisation and this is what government is very much engaged in”.

He also congratulated the CEO of Globe Productions, Latif Abubakar for putting together an event to celebrate individuals who were making a contribution to the country’s drive to achieve the SDGs.

Rationale

The CEO of Globe Productions, Latif Abubakar said the awards were the ultimate platform for celebrating visionaries who have thrived against the odds and rendered ideas into existence.

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