MIGRATION TO GHANA NETWORKING EVENT — WHAT TURNED OUT AS A ‘REAL-LIFE LINKEDIN

Migration to Ghana (M2G) networking event which happened on December 22, 2020, at the
Peduase Valley Resort lived up to its name as the “real-life version of LinkedIn”—the online
platform to virtually meet and network with executives who are at the top in their fields. The
aim of the program and as laid out by Kwame Opoku Addo and Jackie Manu, who led a team of
organizers to put the program together, was to create an effective enabling platform for the
diaspora, who envision to resettle or carry out businesses successfully in Ghana, to gain the
needed insight on the culture and doing business in Ghana from the very people who have tried
and succeeded.

At the program to listen to the diaspora and Ghanaians who were once searching but have now
found a way to doing business in Ghana were diaspora from different parts of Europe, the
United Kingdom, others who had lived here for a while and those from different parts of the
country.

The program was hosted by the Master of Ceremonies, Jerry Adjorlolo who moderated
different semi-formal sessions. First was a brainstorming session with the audience. According
to seating by each table, the audience had to brainstorm on issues such as road and transport,
education, health care, and so forth. As passionate as they were, they brought to bear some
frustrations with 2-lane roads and what necessitates road expansion; the need to close the
education gap with innovative adult education to keep the growing population at par with
evolving times and technology and some interesting others.

The knowledge-packed session followed after the audience helped themselves at a buffet lined-
up with assorted rich and healthy dishes and drinks. The speakers shared their experiences and
responded to questions from the audience. Among the speakers were Christa Sanders, Campus
Director, Webster University; Kofi Anku, Partner, Ayi Mensah Park; Herman Chinery-Hesse,
Chairman, theSofttribe; Anthony Dzamefe, Founder, Caveman Watches; Nana Ama Botchway,
Managing Partner, N. Dowuona & Company; Safori, Artist and Founder, House of Safori; Peter
Quartey-Papafio, Project Director/Country Manager BHM Construction Int. (UK) Ltd.; Cassandra
Enyan, Head of Android Partnerships, Google; Muhammida El Muhajir, Director of Strategy for
Wax Printmedia; and, Cassandra Blaine, Administrative Director, FOCOS, USA.

Central to the personal stories and experiences shared by the speakers was the fact that it is
key to rely on LinkedIn to identify and connect with professionals who can potentially aid your
vision to start a business or other in Ghana. Another highlight was remaining humble and being
in readiness to shed knowledge and ways of the western world to better understand how
things work in Ghana. Also, making the effort to assimilate the local culture and most of all
learning a local language or the least, some key phrases to get by.

The Migration to Ghana event highlighted the fact that irrespective of who you are or what you
seek to do in Ghana or anywhere else in the world, you need people and they have provided
that platform to meet just the person you need. This year was a start; there is no doubt that
next year will be bigger.

The program was organized with support from Penchurch Professionals, Ghana Investment
Promotion Center, and Beyond the Return.