Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, curator of the Amahoro Coalition, has called on African businesses to reconsider their approach to displacement and humanitarian issues, framing them as economic opportunities rather than mere corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Speaking on GHToday with Joshua Kodjo Mensah on Friday, February 6, 2026, Fokuo recounted a 2019 initiative in Nairobi, Kenya, where 85 business leaders met with the UNHCR and the Office of Private Sector Partnerships to discuss the role of the private sector in addressing displacement. He noted that many companies were willing but lacked awareness of how displacement affected their operations.
“Help isn’t always positive because companies don’t exist to help; they exist to maximise shareholder value. But companies also don’t exist in isolation from society,” Fokuo explained, highlighting the interconnectedness of social impact and business growth.
READ: Over 100 million people displaced, globally, young Africans most affected – Isaac Kwaku Fokuo
He emphasised that addressing the needs of displaced populations is in a company’s self-interest. Displaced individuals often represent untapped talent and potential consumers. “If you have someone from Sudan or Congo living in Ghana and they can’t work in their trained profession, you’re missing your own talent,” he said, citing examples of engineers forced into informal work due to barriers in employment.
Fokuo also pointed to the broader economic benefits of integrating displaced people. Initiatives such as granting Ghana cards to displaced persons, enabling them to open bank accounts, improving the financial system, expanding the workforce, and creating new businesses.
“Once you explain this from an economic perspective, companies understand it’s not just CSR, it’s an investment in talent, community, and their own business,” Fokuo concluded, noting that this approach is gaining traction among the African private sector.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Barbara Yeboah
