Europe INfocus with Aboagye Mintah: The EU’s bn-Euro bet on Africa and the future

For many years, conversations about development in Ghana followed a familiar pattern. We talked about roads that needed fixing, communities waiting for electricity, businesses struggling with logistics, and young people trying to build careers in an economy that often felt disconnected from global opportunities.

Infrastructure was largely seen through a physical lens. It was about highways, bridges, ports, and power plants. While those remain important, the reality is that the world has changed. The economies growing fastest today are not necessarily those with the biggest roads, but those with the strongest connections, digital connections, energy connections, trade connections, and knowledge connections.

That is why the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative deserves far more attention in Ghana than it currently receives.

While most people associate international partnerships with aid projects and development grants, the Global Gateway represents something fundamentally different. It is an attempt to build the infrastructure that will power the next generation of economic growth. And for Ghana, it could become one of the most consequential international partnerships of the coming decade.

Why Connectivity Matters More Than Ever

The modern economy runs on connectivity. A software developer in Accra competes with developers in Nairobi, Berlin, Bangalore, and San Francisco. A digital entrepreneur selling products online depends on reliable internet infrastructure. A logistics company relies on efficient transport networks. A manufacturer depends on stable electricity. A farmer increasingly depends on access to information, markets, and digital financial services.

When any of those systems fail, productivity suffers. Many young Ghanaians understand this reality all too well. A dropped internet connection can derail a client meeting. Unstable electricity can interrupt production. Limited access to digital infrastructure can prevent promising businesses from reaching international markets.

The Global Gateway’s focus on digital connectivity seeks to address some of these challenges by strengthening the backbone upon which modern businesses operate.

Projects aimed at expanding international connectivity and improving digital infrastructure may not generate the same excitement as a new motorway or airport terminal, but their impact could be even greater.

Faster and more reliable connectivity creates opportunities for remote work, software development, digital services, e-commerce, fintech innovation, and countless other sectors that increasingly define modern economies. For a generation that is more connected to the world than any before it, digital infrastructure is no longer a luxury. It is economic infrastructure.

Energy, the Silent Driver of Growth

One of the less glamorous but most important aspects of economic development is energy reliability. Every entrepreneur knows the frustration of interrupted operations. Every business owner understands the hidden costs that come with uncertainty in power supply. The recent dumsor episode reminded all of us the sheer importance of stable power to every aspect of our lives. For business it usually the absolute lifeline between survival and collapse.

A digital economy cannot thrive if the systems supporting it are unstable. This is why investments in renewable energy projects are particularly significant. Ghana’s transition toward cleaner and more diversified energy sources is not simply an environmental issue, it is an economic one.

Reliable energy lowers business costs, increases productivity, improves competitiveness, and creates confidence for investors. For startups and small businesses, especially those operating in technology and digital services, dependable energy can mean the difference between scaling successfully and struggling to survive.

The future of work increasingly depends on digital tools. Digital tools depend on electricity. It really is that simple.

Infrastructure Is Not Enough Without Skills

One of the most important lessons from development efforts around the world is that infrastructure alone does not create prosperity. You can build fibre-optic networks, modern roads, and renewable energy facilities, but without skilled people to use them effectively, their impact remains limited.

This is why investments in skills development deserve equal attention. Across Ghana, there is growing recognition that technical skills, vocational education, entrepreneurship training, and digital literacy will determine who benefits most from the opportunities emerging in the global economy.

Young people are not simply looking for jobs. Increasingly, they are looking to create businesses, build products, offer services, and compete internationally. Supporting technical and vocational education while strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystems helps ensure that Ghana’s youth become active participants in economic transformation rather than passive observers.

 A Quiet Revolution for Business

Perhaps the most immediate impact of these investments will be felt by businesses. Better transport infrastructure means products reach markets faster. Improved connectivity allows businesses to operate more efficiently. Easier access to finance enables entrepreneurs to expand. Stronger energy systems reduce operational uncertainty.

For agriculture, which remains a critical pillar of Ghana’s economy, improvements in feeder roads and logistics networks can significantly reduce post-harvest losses and improve market access.

For manufacturers, improved infrastructure lowers production costs. For exporters, greater connectivity enhances competitiveness. For startups, access to digital infrastructure and investment capital opens doors that were previously closed.

These changes may not always make headlines, but they shape economic outcomes in very real ways.

The Real Test

Of course, ambitious initiatives do not automatically translate into meaningful results. The true measure of success will not be the amount of money announced or the number of projects launched. It will be whether ordinary Ghanaians experience tangible improvements in their lives and livelihoods.

Will more young people find meaningful employment?

Will businesses become more competitive?

Will entrepreneurs gain access to the tools and capital they need to grow?

Will communities become better connected to opportunities?

Those are the questions that matter.

Success will also require strong local ownership, effective implementation, transparency, and a commitment to ensuring that investments generate lasting value rather than short-term visibility.

Ghana’s Moment

As I look at the direction of the global economy, one thing seems increasingly clear. The future will belong to countries that are connected, i.e. digitally, economically, and regionally.

The foundations for that future are now being laid across Ghana. The European Union’s Global Gateway initiative will not solve every challenge we face. No single programme can. But it represents something important. A recognition that the next chapter of development is not simply about building infrastructure. It is about building systems that enable innovation, productivity, resilience, and opportunity.

The roads, networks, energy systems, and skills programmes being developed today are not merely projects. They are the rails upon which future growth will travel. For Ghana’s entrepreneurs, innovators, developers, creators, and business leaders, the opportunity is becoming clearer.

The infrastructure is being built. The connections are being strengthened. The question now is whether we are prepared to seize the opportunities that come with them.

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