GEA CEO Margaret Ansei Says Ghana-USVI Partnership Turns Shared History into Economic Opportunity

Story by Fada Amakye

The Ghana Enterprises Agency has launched a new chapter in Ghana-Caribbean relations, with CEO Margaret Ansei declaring that a partnership with the United States Virgin Islands marks “both a beginning and an end” — the beginning of purposeful economic cooperation and the end of a “long London separation between brothers and sisters.

Speaking at a landmark reception in Accra for a USVI delegation, Ansei said the engagement was “not coincidence, nor mere diplomacy” but the result of two nations recognizing “something rare” in each other.

“Today marks both a beginning and an end, the beginning of a purposeful partnership between Ghana and the United States Virgin Islands, and the end of a long London separation between brothers and sisters whose history have reminded us that we need to stay connected even across oceans and generations,” Ansei told guests, government officials, and media.

Ansei said the presence of representatives from the Office of the Chief of Staff, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Chief Director of the Ministry of Trade signaled that the partnership “carries the full weight of Ghana’s national intent.

“This is state level commitment meeting private sector ambition,” she said, noting that the mission includes execution of a memorandum of agreement, high-level ministerial engagement, and direct collaboration with Ghanaian business stakeholders.

The formal framework targets cooperation across healthcare, education, renewable energy, agriculture, trade infrastructure, technology, tourism, and professional services.

The GEA CEO highlighted the strategic advantage the USVI brings as a U.S. jurisdiction: direct access to American markets, financial systems, and regulatory structures, plus tax advantages, duty exemptions, and an investment environment designed for international enterprises.

“Beyond this, structural advantages lie something even more powerful. The Virgin Islands is a predominantly African descended community that has navigated the space between the African world, the Caribbean experience, and the American economy,” Ansei said. “They embody the aspirations of the diaspora and serve as a trusted bridge to every business leader here, investor and entrepreneur gathered here this evening.

She added: “Our histories intersect across the Atlantic. Our people share ancestry, struggle, and the genius that emerges when culture refuses to be diminished. What we have not yet done until now is to channel that shared inheritance into deliberate sustainable economic partnership.”

Ansei urged Ghanaian entrepreneurs to engage boldly with the visiting delegation.

The USVI delegation has come to Ghana in Accra today with open hands and genuine intent. They are here to listen, to learn, and to bridge the gap. Your role is to step forward, introduce yourselves boldly, ask the questions that matter, and make proposals that could change the trajectory of your enterprises,” she said.

She described the agreements and relationships being built as “blueprints for a generation” that represent investment corridors, educational exchanges, tourism partnerships, energy collaborations, and agricultural value chains “that can create prosperity for years to come.

History has always been shaped by the decisions made in rooms like this by leaders who chose to extend a hand rather than turning away, to seek common ground rather than retreat to comfortable distance, and to invest in possibilities rather than defer to precedent,” Ansei said.

Closing her remarks, the GEA CEO welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Agency and the government and people of Ghana. Aqua, you are most warmly welcome,” she said, using the Twi word for Accra to underscore the cultural connection.

The reception marks the first major step in operationalizing the Ghana-USVI economic partnership, with both sides expected to formalize specific projects and investment deals in the coming months.