‘AFRICANS MUST DOMINATE THEIR OWN ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE’

ALEX APAU DADEY, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF WHOLLY-OWNED GHANAIAN CONGLOMERATE KGL GROUP, CONSIDERS HIMSELF PART OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA, HAVING LIVED AND WORKED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (U.K.) FOR MANY YEARS. DURING THAT TIME, HE TRAVELED ACROSS EUROPE AND ASIA, OVERSEEING BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN ABOUT 20 COUNTRIES.

- by Oluwatomisin Amokeoja

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FORBES AFRICA, DADEY SHARES HOW THOSE EXPERIENCES EXPOSED HIM TO DIFFERENT MODELS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PRIVATE-SECTOR DEVELOPMENT. HE HAD ALSO BEEN INVOLVED IN GHANA’S MARKET SINCE THE 1990S, PARTICULARLY IN TRADE FINANCE AND VENTURE CAPITAL DURING THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM ERA. HE ADMITS THAT GAVE HIM A STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AND LIMITATIONS WITHIN THE COUNTRY’S ECONOMY. EVENTUALLY, HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO GHANA 10 YEARS AGO AND REPLICATE SOME OF THE SYSTEMS AND BUSINESS MODELS HE HAD SEEN SUCCEED GLOBALLY. ACCORDING TO HIM, THE VISION BEHIND KGL GROUP, FOUNDED IN 2018, WAS TO BUILD AN AFRICAN CONGLOMERATE DRIVEN BY INNOVATION, INVESTMENT, AND PRIVATE-SECTOR LEADERSHIP. AND THE WAY, HE SAYS, HE DEALS WITH CHALLENGES, IS WITH TRANSPARENCY. EXCERPTS FROM THE CONVERSATION:

Transitioning from entrepreneurship

Serving as Chairman of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) for more than three years was a defining experience. It allowed me to bring private-sector thinking into public-sector development.

Through that role, I gained firsthand insight into what Africa needs to transform economically. I also had the opportunity to represent Ghana to foreign investors and demonstrate what a successful African-owned conglomerate could look like. It reinforced my belief in public-private partnerships and the importance of African business leadership in shaping the continent's future.

Nonnegotiable principles

One principle I strongly believe in is that the private sector is the true engine of growth. I have seen firsthand how private enterprise can transform sectors, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to national development.