Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 2025
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), Dr. Mary Awusi, played a pivotal role at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s (UNECA) Ad Hoc Expert Group Meeting on Standards and Norms for Successful Special Economic Zones in Africa, held from 17th to 19th October 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In addition to the expert meeting, she took part in the Fourth Meeting of the Committee on Private Sector Development, Regional Integration, Trade, Infrastructure, Industry, and Technology, reinforcing GFZA’s commitment to advancing sustainable and innovative SEZ models in Africa.
The high-level forum convened policymakers, technical experts, and SEZ practitioners to refine continental frameworks and integrate global best practices. The forum highlighted global SEZ models, with case studies from Gabon, Benin, South Africa, China, South Korea, the UAE, , Costa Rica, and Colombia. In her opening address, Ms. Laura Paez, Chief of the Market Institutions Section at UNECA, championed the imperative of “Sustainable Innovation,” urging African SEZs to embed green technologies, digitalize operations, and adopt robust Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles to secure a competitive edge in global trade.
As an invited expert, Dr. Awusi presented a critical analysis of the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) in Benin, positioning it as a benchmark for transformative African industrialisation. She detailed its strategic evolution from a traditional enclave to an integrated, value-chain-driven ecosystem that prioritises local content, agro-processing, and inclusive job creation. Central to this success, she noted, is the effective Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Arise IIP, which harmonizes private sector operational excellence with national development objectives.
Dr. Awusi further outlined essential pathways for sustaining SEZ competitiveness, emphasizing the need to secure raw material supply chains, reduce energy costs, and deepen regional market integration.
Her participation is of strategic importance to Ghana, which is currently advancing its own transition from a free zone regime to a modern, integrated SEZ model. The insights garnered from this forum, particularly on sustainable PPP frameworks and ESG compliance, will directly inform Ghana’s policy development and implementation strategy.
Dr. Awusi was accompanied by Ms Anita Quashie, Director, Marketing and Investment Promotion and Mr. Kingsford K. Jagre, Head of AfCFTA and Strategic Partnerships