President John Dramani Mahama has made a strong pitch for Ghana as the ideal destination for trade and investment in West Africa, highlighting the country’s political stability, improving economy, and strategic position as the host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), president Mahama told Japanese investors that Ghana is “a stable, democratic, business-friendly gateway to West Africa and the continent.”
He said Ghana is leveraging its strategic geographic location as well as infrastructure and policy reforms to establish itself as the regional hub for investment, manufacturing, and exports.
“The sub-regional market, which is West Africa, is 400 million people. Ghana is 33 million people, and the continental market is 1.4 billion people. With the vehicle of the African Continental Free Trade Area, you potentially can export into a 1.4 billion market,” he noted.
He praised recent macroeconomic progress, noting that inflation dropped from nearly 23% in 2024 to 13.7%, with projections to reach single digits by the end of the year. He also highlighted the stability of the Ghanaian cedi, saying: “This year, the Ghana cedi has been the best performing currency in the world.”
As part of Ghana’s pro-business reforms, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act is being reviewed to remove minimum capital requirements for foreign investors. According to Mahama, “This will enable any investor, however little money you have, $100,000, $50,000, to be able to come in and set up a business in Ghana.”
He encouraged Japan to see Africa as the next frontier, urging, “let us marry Japanese precision with Ghanaian potential and create a win-win situation for ourselves.”
By: Victor Lavor
