Yokohama, Japan – President John Dramani Mahama has extended a strong invitation to Japanese businesses to invest in Ghana, touting the West African nation as “Africa’s next investment frontier” during the Presidential Investment Forum held on the sidelines of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IX).
The President highlighted Ghana’s political stability, investor-friendly reforms, and strategic role as the host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, positioning the country as the most reliable gateway to African markets.
“Why would you want to invest in Ghana? Not only because of the economic opportunities, but also because Ghana is a stable, democratic, business-friendly gateway to West Africa and the continent,” Mahama told Japanese executives.
Economic Stability and Reforms
Mahama noted Ghana’s progress in restoring macroeconomic stability. Inflation, which reached almost 23% in 2024, had dropped to 13.7%, with expectations of single-digit levels by year’s end. He also described the performance of the Ghanaian cedi as a remarkable turnaround.
“Our cedi, once one of Africa’s most volatile currencies, has this year become the best-performing currency in the world,” the President said proudly.
Ghana’s sovereign credit rating, he added, had been upgraded from junk status to B-minus with a stable outlook, with further upgrades expected soon.
To lower barriers for investors, the government is also reviewing the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act.
“Some barriers were put to foreign investment, such as minimum capital requirements. In the revised law, those thresholds are being removed. Whether you have $100,000 or $50,000, you can set up a business in Ghana,” he assured.
Priority Sectors for Japanese Investors
Mahama pointed to automobile assembly, agribusiness, energy, and technology as priority sectors ripe for Japanese investment.
Automobile Assembly: “Japanese brands such as Toyota and Honda are already assembling vehicles in Ghana. We encourage more companies to take advantage of AfCFTA to export duty-free into Africa’s 1.4 billion market,” Mahama said.
Agribusiness: With vast arable land, abundant sunshine, and water resources from the Volta Lake, Ghana, he noted, has significant potential in agro-processing.
Energy: “We have a comparative advantage when it comes to energy production. From hydro to gas-to-power generation, Ghana can produce electricity at a cost lower than many of our neighbors,” he emphasized.
Technology & Fintech: Mahama praised Ghana’s youthful, English-speaking workforce, calling them “smart, innovative, and quick to upscale in robotics, AI, and fintech.”
Partnership with Japan
The President underscored Ghana’s track record with Japanese firms, citing over $150 million in Japanese investment and growing trade volumes between the two countries.
“We are moving beyond aid to trade and investment. Let us marry Japanese precision with Ghanaian potential and create a win-win situation for ourselves,” he said.
Mahama also assured investors of government support through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and blended finance arrangements, adding that investors’ businesses would be protected from expropriation.
Ghana’s Bold Vision
The President concluded with a call to action, referencing his government’s $10 billion Big Push programme, which focuses on infrastructure, industrialization, and agro-processing.
“Ghana is open for business 24 hours a day. We are embracing a bold vision — one that harnesses innovation, industrialization, and regional integration to unlock the full potential of our people and our resources,” Mahama declared.
He urged Japanese investors to seize the opportunity:
“Africa is the next frontier for investment. Most parts of the world are saturated. Africa is opening up, it is growing, and Ghana is the place to begin that journey.”
