Advertisement

 Mr Seth Ocran (right), President, Car Rental Association of Ghana (CRAG), leading the National Black MBA Association members as they are welcomed by the Osu Traditional Council to Ghana. Behind him is Mr Jesse Tyson, President of the National Black MBA Association
Mr Seth Ocran (right), President, Car Rental Association of Ghana (CRAG), leading the National Black MBA Association members as they are welcomed by the Osu Traditional Council to Ghana. Behind him is Mr Jesse Tyson, President of the National Black MBA Association

Osu welcomes Black American business delegation

A 16-MEMBER Black American business delegation arrived last Wednesday to a rousing traditional welcome by the Osu Traditional Stool.

The delegation was received by the Osu Alata Mantse, Nii Kwabena Bonne V, on behalf of the Osu Traditional Council.

Welcoming the delegation, Nii Bonne V said he believed that the business executives were coming back to their homeland 400 years after their ancestors had gone into captivity abroad.

The delegation is in the country at the invitation of the Ghana International Chamber of Commerce and Yoks Investments Ltd, a local private company.

Reconnection

Led by a business strategist and the President of the National Black MBA Association, Mr Jesse Tyson, the delegation is in the country to reconnect with their roots as part of the Year of Return.

The visit is also to afford the delegation the opportunity to explore possibilities and opportunities to connect with local businesses and also enter into partnerships with local businesses.

The team is scheduled to meet with their Ghanaian counterparts, engage in business to business meetings and strike partnership deals.

Addressing journalists shortly after the traditional welcome, Mr Tyson, who said he was visiting the country for the third time, said it always felt like a homecoming to “reconnect with my people.”

Business opportunities

He said such visits were useful because they enabled those who visited Ghana and for that matter Africa, to be in the position to educate Americans about which business opportunities were available in Ghana and also “how to dispel the myths people have about Africans back in America and the Western world.”

“As we continue to come back and interact with local businesses, we are also looking at business opportunities so we may be able to add value to these businesses, Mr Tyson explained.

He commended the efforts being made by local businesses, adding that even though they were doing well, they needed to expand their businesses to the rest of the world.

Mr Tyson explained that the team would visit some local businesses to see how they were performing.

Healthy business climate

He was excited that the business climate in Ghana was the best for businesses and was optimistic that all the business executives would find the country the best place to do business through partnerships and franchise.

Asked of the possibility of signing business deals during the visit, Mr Tyson said the signing of business deals was the least, adding that what was important was “ potential partners getting to know each other and determining the synergies, and getting comfortable and that is where the real signing comes in.”

Genuine welcoming

Referring to the kind of welcome they received on arrival, Mr Tyson said the feeling was one of genuine welcome that made them feel that they were really back home.

“It creates a connectivity back to Ghana that we do not have in the US,” he stated, explaining that the welcoming alone and for individuals to sacrifice their precious time to come out to welcome them were enough to make one feel like having been welcomed home.

“The rituals make us feel good and also suggest to us that there is a lot of learning that we have to do about our history and the culture of Ghana,” Mr Tyson stated, pointing out that the kind of reception they received could not be same in the USA.

Why we invited

The Chief Executive Officer of the Yoks Investments Ltd, Mr Seth Yeboah Ocran, explained that his company partnered with the GICC to bring in the team with the intention “to connect our brothers from America to businesses in Ghana to enable them to interact.

“So, we have invited them to explore the vast opportunity in Ghana, using our experience and network to connect people to come to Ghana because we have everything here,” he explained.

Connect With Us : 0242202447 | 0551484843 | 0266361755 | 059 199 7513 |