KGL Boss Advocates Creation of Global Business Giants in Africa

Executive Chairman of the KGL Group and former Board Chair of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Mr. Alex Apau Dadey, has issued a clarion call for Africa to cultivate its own global business giants through strategic public-private partnerships and innovation-driven policies.

Delivering the opening keynote at the Forward Africa Leaders Symposium 2025, held in partnership with the Africa Peer Review Mechanism at NASDAQ’s global headquarters in New York, Mr. Dadey joined an esteemed lineup of African leaders and business trailblazers.

Among them were H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of Namibia; Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane of Lesotho; H.E. Mohamed AbdulEnien, Deputy Speaker of the Egyptian Parliament and Chair of the Cleopatra Group; and Mr. Ralph Mupita, CEO and President of MTN Group.

Speaking to a global audience of policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs, Mr. Dadey challenged the continent to move beyond incremental change.

“The challenge before us is not whether change is possible, but how quickly and inclusively we can harness it,” he stated.

“The answer, I believe, lies in the strength of partnerships — genuine, strategic public-private partnerships that unite the innovation, capital, and execution capacity of the private sector with the legitimacy, reach, and enabling authority of governments.”

Drawing from over three decades of international experience in both the private and public sectors, Mr. Dadey outlined a vision anchored in diaspora inclusion, multilateral collaboration, and technology-driven transformation.

He emphasized the need for African governments to move from sidelining the private sector to making it a central player in national development strategies.

“Governments do not create wealth — the private sector does,” he asserted. “Governments alone cannot drive transformation. Sadly, private enterprises that do are often treated as afterthoughts in national strategies, relegated to the rear when they should be at the center of policy deliberations and implementation.”

Mr. Dadey pointed to successful public-private partnerships (PPPs) as those where business incentives align with public development goals and government revenue streams.

Citing the philosophy behind KGL Group and its CSR arm, the KGL Foundation, he called on African businesses to go beyond profit, playing active roles in addressing social challenges.

“Wealth created through PPPs should make a lasting impact in the communities where they operate,” he said. “The private sector must not limit its role to commercial collaboration but must also act as responsible corporate citizens, filling critical gaps left by government.”

In a thought-provoking moment, Mr. Dadey questioned the economic status quo in Africa:

“If multinational corporations can generate wealth in Africa and repatriate it to their home countries, why can’t African countries do the reverse?”

He advocated for a bold shift in mindset — one that sees African businesses scale globally, master their own markets, and create innovations tailored to the continent’s unique challenges.

“Africa must deliberately create African Global Giants,” he declared. “These champions are not just wealthy individuals; they are economic shock absorbers, anchors of supply chains, investors in local R&D, and providers of patient capital where foreign investors fall short.”

He urged African policymakers and business leaders to build ecosystems that allow local startups to envision themselves scaling to the global stage, including listings on prestigious platforms like NASDAQ.

Mr. Dadey concluded with a powerful reminder:

“We cannot build economies of scale if we constantly cut down the tallest trees. Africa’s future lies in how boldly it chooses to celebrate, not stifle, its own champions.”

The Forward Africa Leaders Symposium 2025 provided a high-level platform to advance critical conversations around digital transformation, innovation, and economic inclusion across the continent.

Mr. Dadey’s remarks added a compelling voice to the growing call for African-led solutions and leadership on the global business stage.