The African Supply Chain Confederation (ASCON) has appointed Dr. Simon Annan, President of the Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply (GIPS), as chairman of its advisory board, marking a significant milestone in Africa’s efforts toward integrated and professionally governed supply chains.
The appointment brings over two decades of sustained leadership in procurement and supply chain management to guide the pan African body’s long term vision and strategic decision making. ASCON announced the development as part of efforts to professionalise and future proof Africa’s fragmented supply chain ecosystem.
Dr. Annan’s experience spans policy development, governance leadership and professional capacity building across public, private and non governmental organization sectors. The appointment signals a shift from transactional practices toward ethical and performance driven systems capable of supporting Africa’s industrialisation ambitions and unlocking the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The move reinforces Ghana’s strategic role at the heart of Africa’s supply chain transformation, strengthening continental efforts to modernize logistics, procurement and value chain infrastructure. These reforms are foundational to seamless cross border trade, competitiveness and inclusive growth across the continent.
ASCON was established in Accra, Ghana on August 22, 2025 during the joint conferences of the African Marketing Confederation and Technology Information Confederation Africa. The founding membership spans seven countries including Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, reflecting shared commitment to collaboration, harmonised standards and mutual recognition across borders.
The confederation focuses on harmonising professional standards, sharing best practices and improving efficiency across procurement, logistics and supply chain management. Central to this mission is development of standardised accreditation frameworks and robust ethical codes designed to elevate competence, strengthen accountability and build trust across regional supply chains.
By integrating regional supply chains and reducing operational bottlenecks, ASCON aims to enhance competitiveness of African businesses, unlock economies of scale and accelerate economic integration. These are key enablers of industrial growth, job creation and long term economic sovereignty for the continent.
Mr. Ronald Mlalazi serves as President of ASCON, while Professor Douglas Boateng holds the position of Goodwill Ambassador. Together, this leadership represents continental ambition to reengineer Africa’s supply chains into ethically governed and seamlessly integrated engines of industrialisation and shared prosperity.
Dr. Annan is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) in the United Kingdom, Fellow of the Institute of Project Management Professionals (IPMP) in Ghana, and Fellow of the Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).
The procurement expert has accumulated more than 17 years of working experience spanning financial institutions, energy, aviation, education, telecommunications and construction sectors. He has held senior procurement and supply chain management positions with organisations including Standard Chartered Bank Ghana, Ecobank Group, AGAMS Holdings, the Ghana National Household Registry funded by the World Bank, and Heritage Bank Limited in Ghana.
Dr. Annan serves as Chief Executive Officer of SourceOne Management Services Ghana, a procurement consultancy firm. He is also a member of the Faculty Advisory Board of the Business School at Koforidua Technical University and holds a directorship position at the Institute of Project Management Professionals.
ASCON plans to hold its first conference in September 2026 at Livingstone in Zambia, located on the banks of the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls. The African Marketing Confederation and Technology Information Confederation Africa are scheduled to hold their own conferences at the same time, reflecting collaboration among the three bodies given rapid evolution and convergence of marketing, information technology and supply chain functions.
The confederation stated its mission as fostering a cohesive African supply chain ecosystem grounded in professionalism, standard of practice, education and competence, powered by collaborative networks that deliver mutual benefit and continental impact through professional bodies.
Several leading supply chain experts attended the founding ceremony in Accra to observe operations of the marketing and information technology confederations, both of which have made progress in developing and uniting their respective professions across Africa. The strategic importance of elevating the supply chain management profession in Africa for economic development cannot be overstated, according to confederation officials.
The AfCFTA, which became operational in January 2021, creates a single market for goods and services across 54 African countries with combined gross domestic product of approximately 3.4 trillion United States dollars. However, fragmented supply chain practices, inconsistent professional standards and operational bottlenecks have limited the trade agreement’s full potential.
Africa’s intra continental trade represents only about 15 percent of total trade, compared to 59 percent in Asia and 69 percent in Europe. Supply chain inefficiencies, including poor logistics infrastructure, lengthy border clearance procedures and lack of standardised procurement practices, contribute significantly to this disparity.
ASCON’s work addresses these challenges by creating unified professional standards, facilitating knowledge sharing and building capacity across member countries. The confederation aims to establish mutual recognition frameworks that allow qualified supply chain professionals to practice across borders, similar to models in the European Union and other integrated economic zones.
Dr. Annan’s appointment comes as Ghana positions itself as a hub for continental professional development initiatives. The country hosts headquarters of several pan African professional bodies and has played leading roles in developing regional frameworks for various sectors.
The Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply, which Dr. Annan leads, was established to promote excellence in procurement and supply chain management through professional development, research, advocacy and standards setting. The institute works with government agencies, private sector organizations and academic institutions to strengthen procurement practices across Ghana.
African countries collectively spend billions of dollars annually on public procurement, representing significant portions of national budgets. Strengthening procurement and supply chain systems can improve value for money, reduce corruption and enhance service delivery across the continent.
The confederation’s focus on ethical governance addresses longstanding concerns about transparency and accountability in African supply chains. Robust ethical codes and enforcement mechanisms are essential for building investor confidence, attracting foreign direct investment and ensuring that supply chain improvements translate into tangible economic benefits.
