Osah Mensah launches ThirdWell IBC, pushes inclusive business as Ghana’s economic game changer

Founder and Executive Chairman of the ThirdWell Inclusive Business Centre (IBC), Osah Thompson Mensah, has called for inclusive business to become the foundation of Ghana’s economic development strategy, describing it as the country’s most sustainable pathway to reducing poverty and improving living standards.

Speaking at the official launch of the Centre on Saturday, February 21, 2026, in Accra, Mr. Mensah stressed that expanding inclusive business practices would significantly deepen social and economic impact.

“More inclusive business means more impact,” he stated, urging stakeholders to become either silent or active advocates of inclusive business models.

The ThirdWell Inclusive Business Centre is a private not-for-profit organisation established to empower inclusive businesses by promoting investment and partnerships that enhance their ability to scale impact. Inclusive businesses, he explained, are profit-making companies that deliberately integrate low-income populations commonly referred to as the Base of the Pyramid (BoPs) into their value chains as customers, suppliers, distributors, or employees.

According to Mr. Mensah, Ghana lacks a long-term development ideology, despite the regular production of political party manifestos every four years.

“We have manifestos, but we do not have a clear national development ideology or strategy,” he said, arguing that inclusive business and impact-driven return strategies should underpin Ghana’s economic framework.

He noted that when citizens are economically empowered, they demand more goods and services, which stimulates production, drives factory expansion and boosts exports. Drawing parallels with developed nations, he expressed optimism that Ghana could achieve similar progress by embedding inclusive business principles into its long-term planning.

Mr. Mensah also disclosed ongoing engagement with the Ghana Stock Exchange to explore how listing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could address succession planning challenges and strengthen corporate governance. He observed that many Ghanaian businesses collapse after founders exit due to weak structures and overreliance on family succession.

“When you list, you open yourself up not just to funding but to quality management and stronger corporate systems,” he said, adding that standards should not be lowered but processes can be rethought to maintain integrity while improving access.

He further acknowledged support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), which sponsored groundwork for the inclusive business concept in Ghana, noting that sustaining the initiative now rests with Ghanaians.

Describing the Centre as a one-stop resource hub, Mr. Mensah said it would provide strategic advisory services, corporate governance guidance and coordinated access to professional support for accredited inclusive businesses.

Also speaking at the launch, Sherif Ghali, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs, and also chairman of the event, called for inclusive business to be elevated to a national agenda. He highlighted the reality of poverty among many Ghanaians, particularly those earning below GH₵2,000, and urged companies to align profit-making with social inclusion.

“Until low-income individuals are integrated into value chains, businesses will continue to get richer while many people remain poor,” he said.

Mr. Ghali pledged support for the Centre and encouraged businesses, institutions and government to back the initiative, stressing that poverty reduction requires collective effort.

The launch signals a renewed push to position inclusive business as a central pillar in Ghana’s quest for sustainable economic transformation.