Bola Ray calls for greater public awareness as African business expansion gathers pace

Ghanaian media personality Nathan Kwabena Anokye Adisi, popularly known as Bola Ray, has called for greater public awareness and stakeholder engagement as businesses expanding across Africa seek to deepen their operations while complying with national laws and regulations.

Bola Ray, who doubles as a global advisory board member of Ignite Social Enterprise, made the call during a virtual seminar, where he highlighted the need for transparency, responsible business practices and closer collaboration with regulators as commercial activities expand across the continent.

According to him, businesses operating in Ghana must recognise that compliance goes beyond simply having policies on paper, stressing that individuals representing an organisation must understand and adhere to established procedures.

He said his organisation has, since establishing its presence in Ghana, engaged a number of public institutions, including the Criminal Investigations Department, the National Intelligence Bureau, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Trade and Commerce.

The engagement also highlighted Ghana's position within a wider expansion across sub-Saharan Africa.

The engagements, he explained, are intended to provide clarity on the organisation's operations and ensure that its activities remain within the country's legal and regulatory framework.

“Compliance is not just a document on the shelf. It is something that you bring to life, and you've got to let it work,” he said.

He further stressed the need for individuals associated with businesses to take personal responsibility for understanding and following the rules governing their operations.

The media personality also used the engagement to caution the public against individuals who may misuse established business names to promote fraudulent activities.’

He said the organisation does not condone fraud, deception or any activity that violates the law, adding that it would cooperate with law-enforcement agencies whenever investigations arise.

Its Chief Market Development Officer, Venu Johl, said the organisation had also undertaken activities in other markets, including Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Malaysia and Syria, as part of its expansion plans.

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