Entrepreneur Barbara Quashigah throws her hat into the ring for Ayawaso West Wuogon NPP seat

Ghanaian entrepreneur and investment adviser Barbara Quashigah has formally entered the race for the New Patriotic Party's parliamentary ticket in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, positioning herself as a candidate who can bridge grassroots community needs with professional competence and fresh political leadership.

In her declaration of intent, Quashigah — Managing Partner of Nexus FTC Ltd — made clear that her motivation extends beyond personal political ambition. She argued that her years of community engagement, social interventions and empowerment work have equipped her with a practical understanding of what the constituency truly needs from its representative in Parliament.

"I believe the time has come for leadership that combines experience, fresh ideas, professional competence, and a strong connection with the grassroots," she stated, adding that she wants to be "a Member of Parliament who listens, engages, advocates, and delivers."

A business background with regional reach

Quashigah brings a substantial professional portfolio to her parliamentary ambition. Through Nexus FTC Ltd, she has worked in international investment advisory, strategic stakeholder engagement and international trade, connecting investors and institutions across Ghana and broader African markets. Her professional footprint spans Angola, Togo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, giving her direct exposure to cross-border commerce and investment development on the continent.

She has also held a fundraising mandate linked to the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), reflecting an understanding of regional development financing — a background that could prove valuable in advocating for infrastructure and economic projects at the national level.

In addition, she founded Ambar Quality Foods Ltd, an agribusiness venture focused on food production, commodity trading and exports. These combined experiences have sharpened her focus on entrepreneurship, job creation and expanding economic opportunities, particularly for women and young Ghanaians.

On the philanthropic side, Quashigah established BAAQ Initiatives in 2020, a platform dedicated to empowering women and youth through skills development programmes, educational support and livelihood improvement initiatives. Her community outreach has included engagement with university students and members of the Muslim community within the constituency — a signal of her intent to represent the area's diverse demographic groups.

What this means for Ayawaso West Wuogon and the NPP

Ayawaso West Wuogon is one of Accra's high-profile constituencies, historically a strong NPP stronghold. The seat has attracted national attention in recent electoral cycles, making the party's internal primary a consequential contest. With Ghana's next general election on the horizon, the NPP faces the challenge of rebuilding and consolidating support following its 2024 general election defeat, and the choice of parliamentary candidates in key seats will be closely watched.

Quashigah's entry into the race adds a business-oriented, female voice to what is likely to become a competitive primary. She has explicitly identified the need to reconnect the party with younger voters and grassroots members as central to her pitch, arguing that the NPP requires a candidate capable of uniting its membership and broadening its appeal.

"Our party needs a candidate who can unite its members, reconnect with the grassroots, inspire the younger generation, attract wider support, and lead a campaign built on trust, commitment, and credibility," she said.

Her stated priority areas — youth development, women's empowerment, entrepreneurship, education and community welfare — align broadly with the concerns consistently raised by voters in urban Accra constituencies, where unemployment among young people and access to quality education remain persistent issues.

Key priorities she has outlined

• Youth and women's empowerment: Drawing on her work with BAAQ Initiatives, Quashigah intends to make skills development and economic inclusion central planks of her parliamentary agenda.
• Entrepreneurship and job creation: Her agribusiness and investment advisory background positions her to advocate for policies that support small businesses and attract investment to the constituency.
• Party unity and grassroots mobilisation: She has emphasised rebuilding relationships within the NPP's structures and fostering collaboration among supporters as a prerequisite for electoral success.

As the NPP's internal primary process for Ayawaso West Wuogon takes shape, Quashigah's candidacy will be tested against her ability to translate her professional credentials and community goodwill into the kind of broad party support needed to secure the ticket.