When the Kwahu Business Forum first took shape as an idea, few could have imagined it growing into one of Ghana’s most consequential platforms for economic dialogue. On Saturday, President John Dramani Mahama made clear exactly who deserves the credit for that transformation.
Speaking at the Kwahu Business Forum 2026, President Mahama offered a glowing tribute to Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, crediting him as the visionary force behind the forum’s conception, development, and rise to national prominence.
In remarks that drew warm applause from the gathering, President Mahama described how Julius Debrah not only conceived the idea of the forum but took deliberate steps to nurture it into a respected space for engagement between government, the private sector, and development partners.
“Honourable Julius Debrah deserves recognition for the vision he demonstrated in conceiving this forum and guiding its development into a respected platform for business and economic engagement,” the President said.
According to Mahama, the forum was built on a straightforward but powerful premise — to create a structured environment where policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders could sit across the same table, exchange ideas, and collectively chart pathways for Ghana’s economic advancement.
That vision, the President noted, has been more than realised.
What began as a concept has rapidly evolved into one of the signature events of Ghana’s Easter calendar. Anchored in the scenic Kwahu area of the Eastern Region — long celebrated as the country’s Easter tourism heartland — the Kwahu Business Forum has carved out a distinct identity as a serious platform for economic thought and private sector engagement.
Each edition draws an increasingly impressive cross-section of participants: investors, entrepreneurs, industry captains, and policy minds from across Ghana and beyond, all converging to deliberate on investment opportunities, economic policy direction, and strategies to deepen the country’s private sector competitiveness.
The forum’s integration into the Kwahu Easter festivities has also proven to be a masterstroke, combining the high footfall and energy of the holiday season with substantive business programming — an approach that has made it as vibrant as it is impactful.
Beyond the tributes, President Mahama used the occasion to look ahead with optimism, expressing confidence that the Kwahu Business Forum will continue to grow in scale and significance in the years to come.
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He challenged entrepreneurs and business leaders in attendance to make full use of the platform — not merely as a networking occasion, but as a genuine springboard for collaboration, innovation, and tangible contributions to Ghana’s broader economic development agenda.
With investment, job creation, and entrepreneurship remaining central priorities of his administration, Mahama signalled that forums like Kwahu — where public and private sectors converge in honest dialogue — would remain vital instruments in driving the country’s transformation.
For Julius Debrah, the President’s public commendation was both a moment of recognition and a reminder of the lasting impact that a single well-placed idea, faithfully executed, can have on a nation’s economic conversation.