Copyright thevoiceofafrica
New York, October 2025 — At the One Court Africa Reception, hosted during UNGA 2025 by the NBPA Foundation, World Shoe, and the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), one of the evening’s most compelling voices came from Kojo Taylor, President and Co-Founder of World Shoe Limited. With humility and conviction, Taylor shared his journey from technology entrepreneur to social enterprise leader — and how his decision to return home to Ghana has led to a movement producing not just shoes, but hope. From Technology Entrepreneur to Social Enterprise Leader Kojo Taylor spent much of his adult life in the United States, where he built a successful technology company that employed nearly 500 people. After selling the company, he could have chosen retirement. Instead, he chose to return to Ghana. “I wanted to return home and help my country,” he explained. “I started with healthcare, opening clinics in rural areas so communities in need could access medical services. World Shoe was a natural extension of that vision — using business skills to solve social problems.” The Birth of World Shoe in Ghana The idea for World Shoe grew out of Samaritan’s Feet, which had distributed millions of pairs of shoes globally. But nearly all of those shoes were imported. “It only made sense that if most of the shoes were being distributed in Africa, then we should be producing them in Africa. We needed a factory here on the continent, close to where the impact was most urgent,” Taylor shared. That decision led to the creation of the first World Shoe factory in Akosombo, Ghana — a world-class facility capable of producing up to five million shoes a year while generating more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs. Partnerships That Scale Impact For Taylor, the One Court Africa Reception at NBPA Headquarters symbolized the power of alignment. “What brings us here is vision,” he said. “The vision of the First Ladies who want to help girls and women in deprived communities, and the vision of the NBPA Foundation, which wants to support initiatives that give children and families access to a better life. We are so grateful for their support in opening their doors for us.” By linking with First Ladies across Africa, World Shoe is working directly with ministries of health and education to integrate shoes into national health strategies and school access programs. $80,000 Raised: Athletes Driving Change The evening also marked a major fundraising milestone. Special thanks to NBA players Ochai Agbaji with the Toronto Raptors, founder of the Young Agbaji Foundation, and Sion James with the Charlotte Hornets, founder of the Sion James Foundation, for the generous gift of $30,000 that will be matched by the NBPA. Combined with the NBPA Foundation’s $20,000 contribution, the total raised reached $80,000, dedicated to providing World Shoes to youth through the Wash and Wear initiatives planned in partnership with OAFLAD. This commitment demonstrated how player-driven philanthropy, aligned with African innovation, can transform lives at scale. The Vision for the Next 10 Years Kojo Taylor’s ambitions stretch far beyond Ghana’s borders. “Ghana is just the beginning,” he affirmed. “We want to replicate this concept in other African countries — building factories, creating jobs, and expanding access. We want every African child to have a pair of shoes, every nurse and doctor to have protective footwear, every school to have access. Shoes are not just products; they are tools for health, education, and dignity.” He also envisions World Shoe expanding into retail markets, with shoes designed for schools, hospitals, and everyday consumers. “We see a distributor or store in every African country,” he added. “That is the future.” Factories of Hope, A Vision for Africa For Taylor, World Shoe represents the culmination of his life’s journey — blending business acumen with social mission. “This concept makes sense to me because it fits my desire to help my people with my business skills. It’s about creating wealth, tackling unemployment and underemployment, and using social enterprise to solve Africa’s greatest challenges.” At the One Court Africa Reception, Kojo Taylor stood not only as an entrepreneur but as a pioneer. His message was clear: Africa does not need to wait for solutions from abroad. The solutions are being built here — in Ghana, by Africans, for the world. World Shoe is not just producing footwear. It is producing dignity, opportunity, and hope. And Kojo Taylor is at the heart of that movement. READ ALSO: The World Shoe & NBPA Foundation Host Historic “One Court Africa Reception” at NBPA HQ During UNGA 2025
