The Chief Enterprise Officer of MTN Ghana, Angela Mensah-Poku, has called on global leaders and development partners to move beyond empowerment rhetoric and help women transition from economic participation to business ownership and generational wealth creation.

She said women across Africa and the diaspora did not lack ambition, resilience or entrepreneurial ability but were often constrained by inadequate access to capital, markets, professional networks and digital tools.

Mrs Mensah-Poku made the call in a keynote address delivered on her behalf by Maame Ama Simpson, Manager for Enterprise Segment and Product Development at MTN Ghana, at the EVE Women’s Forum in Maryland, United States. “When I think about wealth, I do not first think about balance sheets. I think about a woman I met at a market in Kumasi,” she said.

She recounted how the fabric seller had kept her savings in a tin box beneath her stall for years, leaving the money vulnerable to theft, fire and other risks.

Today, the woman operates her business through a mobile money wallet, saves regularly, accesses credit based on her transaction history, purchases stock ahead of peak seasons and employs two young women. She also serves customers beyond Ghana’s borders.

“The difference was not talent or determination. The difference was access,” Mrs Mensah-Poku said.

She noted that the woman’s experience reflected the reality of millions of female entrepreneurs whose businesses could grow significantly if they received the right financial and technological support.

Technology Unlocking Opportunities for Women

Mrs Mensah-Poku said MTN Ghana had witnessed how technology could bridge the financial inclusion gap and unlock new opportunities for women.

She explained that Mobile Money had provided millions of women with their first formal entry into the financial system, offering them a secure way to save, transact and build the financial records required to access credit.

“Visibility in the financial system is often the first step towards opportunity,” she stated. She, however, stressed that wealth creation went beyond earning an income.

“Wealth creation is about building assets, creating jobs, investing for the future and passing opportunities from one generation to the next,” she said.

Citing the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs, Mrs Mensah-Poku said women constituted 37.2 per cent of business owners in Ghana, placing the country among the world’s leading nations for female business ownership.

She added that women-owned and women-led businesses represented approximately 44 per cent of Ghana’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Data from the Ghana Statistical Service also showed that women accounted for nearly 80 per cent of open-space businesses and more than three-quarters of mobile businesses nationwide, highlighting their significant contribution to economic activity.

Mrs Mensah-Poku said the entrepreneurial strength of women extended beyond Africa, citing the Wells Fargo 2025 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses Report, which identified Black women as the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States.

According to the report, more than two million businesses owned by Black women employed over 647,000 people.

“Whether in Accra, Kumasi, Atlanta, Houston, Toronto or Maryland, the pattern is the same. Women are innovating, solving problems and creating value. What often determines how far they can go is access,” she said.

MTN Expands Support for Women Entrepreneurs

Mrs Mensah-Poku said MTN Ghana’s commitment to addressing these barriers led to the development of Adwumapa, a solution designed by women for women entrepreneurs.

The product combines connectivity with business support, providing women with access to digital tools, training, networking opportunities, insurance, telemedicine, markets and financing solutions.

She said the initiative was intended to help women invest in their businesses, expand their operations and create sustainable livelihoods.

The MTN Ghana Foundation has also committed GH¢1.2 million to support smallholder women farmers and unemployed young people through a modern farming initiative designed to improve agricultural productivity and skills development.

In addition, the Foundation’s small and medium-sized enterprise support programmes provide women entrepreneurs with skills training and seed capital to establish, sustain and expand their businesses.

Mrs Mensah-Poku said the initiatives demonstrated what could be achieved when barriers to economic opportunity were deliberately removed.

“When women are connected to the right tools, capital, networks and opportunities, they do not simply grow businesses; they build wealth, create jobs and strengthen communities,” she said.

From Participation to Ownership

Mrs Mensah-Poku urged governments, financial institutions, investors and development organisations to focus on helping women build assets and sustainable enterprises.

“We must move beyond discussions of empowerment alone and focus on ownership. We must help more women move from participation to ownership, from trading to scaling, from earning income to building assets, and from building businesses to creating generational wealth,” she stated.

She expressed the hope that the EVE Women’s Forum would strengthen connections between African women entrepreneurs and investors in the diaspora while opening new pathways to funding, mentorship and international markets.

She explained that capital enabled businesses to grow, while continuity ensured that such growth endured and became a legacy for future generations.

“The decisions we make about capital, access and opportunity will ultimately shape what is possible for millions of women,” she said.

“They will determine whether a small business remains a market stall or grows into an enterprise, whether it creates a handful of jobs or many, and whether it generates income or leaves a lasting legacy.”

Mrs Mensah-Poku said the message aligned with MTN Ghana’s 30th anniversary celebration, themed “30 Years of Progress, Powered by You.”

She noted that MTN’s experience over the past three decades had shown that wealth creation was not merely about economic growth but also about enabling people to participate, invest, establish businesses and improve the lives of future generations.

“When women are equipped with the right tools and opportunities, the impact extends far beyond individual success to families, communities and entire economies,” she said.

Mrs Mensah-Poku congratulated the Life Patron and Convener of the EVE International Foundation, Her Royal Highness Lady Julia Osei Tutu, and the Foundation for creating a platform that brought together women, ideas, capital and purpose.