Roughly 70% of women-owned SMEs in developing countries are either unserved or underserved by formal financial institutions, a shortfall the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has indicated as one of the largest unmet financing needs in emerging markets (IFC, Closing the Gender Finance Gap Through Blended Finance, 2023).
With the rainy season once again exposing the vulnerability of our towns and cities, flooding has returned as a painful reminder that many of our development challenges are less about nature and more about leadership.
Ghanaians do not need to look far to appreciate the Aliko Dangote business model. Since 2011, Dangote Cement has operated in Ghana, importing bulk cement and bagging it at its terminal in Tema for sale into the domestic market.
The cryptocurrency and forex trading platform Optcoin disappeared in December 2025 to the shock of many Kenyans. The website was down and customer accounts frozen.
Governments debated privatising, corporatising, or keeping state-owned enterprises, but success hinges on governance, leadership, culture, and human behaviour, not ownership. Ownership controls shareholding, governance makes decisions, and human behaviour affects value.
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