Ghana must support Ibrahim Mahama, Despite and others - Kofi Bentil

Kofi Bentil, Vice President of IMANI Africa, has called for stronger support for Ghanaian entrepreneurs, stressing the need to protect business leaders in the country.

In a social media post on March 17, 2026, he reflected on how past political decisions, particularly during the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era, negatively affected the growth of private businesses.

“BA Mensah and other world-class businessmen were destroyed by the PNDC. For almost 40 years, Ghana has not produced businessmen of that calibre,” he stated.

Bentil noted that a new wave of entrepreneurs is emerging in the country, highlighting figures such as Osei Kwame Despite, Ibrahim Mahama, and Daniel McKorley as examples of this new generation.

Ibrahim Mahama's new private jet touches down in Accra

He emphasised the importance of supporting these business leaders to enable them to grow their companies and contribute more significantly to Ghana’s development, provided they operate within the law.

“Unless they are committing crimes, we should rally around them and help them succeed. No one benefits when we pull them down. We should rather go out of our way to support their success,” Bentil added.

For context, Ibrahim Mahama is a leading Ghanaian entrepreneur and industrialist. He is the founder of Engineers & Planners, one of the largest mining contracting firms in West Africa.

His business interests also include cement manufacturing through Dzata Cement, heavy commercial vehicle assembly via MBG Ltd, and various agricultural ventures.

Dr Osei Kwame Despite is a prominent businessman, media owner, and philanthropist. He is the founder of the Despite Group of Companies, which operates major media outlets such as Peace FM and UTV, as well as businesses including Best Point Savings and Loans and Neat Foods.

Daniel McKorley is a business executive with a global outlook. He is known for promoting youth entrepreneurship as a pathway to wealth creation and for his extensive philanthropic work, which has supported millions of underprivileged people across Ghana and beyond.

AK/MA