The Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM) has formalised Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with eight Ghanaian companies and institutions, marking the most tangible output of its 10th anniversary international conference and signalling a shift from a decade of financing conversations to sector-specific industrial commitments.
The agreements were concluded on the sidelines of the two-day conference at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra on Thursday, March 26, as part of broader efforts to deepen support for priority sectors of the economy.
The partnerships span four sectors. In garments and textiles, GEXIM signed with Northshore Apparel Ghana Limited to boost local garment manufacturing, create sustainable jobs, and enhance Ghana’s export potential in the apparel industry. In packaging and printing, the bank partnered TKS Packaging & Printing Limited to expand local manufacturing capacity and reduce reliance on imports.
In agribusiness, GEXIM entered agreements with Nadkansco Company Limited and Freshsaco Foods Exports Company Limited to promote value addition and support agricultural export growth. The remaining partners include Buntaa Farms Limited and Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms Limited (Arise IIP), alongside GEXIM’s existing private sector relationships with Buntaa Farms and others confirmed in conference communications.
The Arise IIP partnership carries particular strategic weight. Under the agreement, Arise IIP will serve as a strategic partner responsible for undertaking feasibility studies and providing technical support for the development of a proposed industrial zone project intended to attract investment, enhance manufacturing capacity, and strengthen Ghana’s position as a competitive export hub. Cluster Director of Arise IIP, Munish Gupta, said the collaboration would create jobs and expressed commitment to utilising data in the partnership.
On the research and agriculture front, GEXIM is also working with the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) to upgrade its tissue culture laboratory into a centre of excellence to support large-scale production of planting materials for Ghana’s pineapple industry.
The MoU signings came as GEXIM’s loan book has grown from under $70 million in 2016 to nearly $300 million by the end of 2025, supporting 147 businesses nationwide. Yet officials acknowledged at the conference that Ghana’s export composition remains structurally unchanged, with gold, cocoa, and crude oil continuing to dominate outbound trade. The central challenge of converting a decade of export finance into a meaningful shift in what Ghana sells to the world remains the institution’s defining task.
Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, who headlined the closing session, outlined the government’s intention to bridge financing gaps for manufacturers seeking to add value to natural resources before export and to position Ghana as a competitive hub under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
GEXIM stated that the partnerships reflect a broader strategy to catalyse investment, strengthen local industries and position Ghana as a competitive player in regional and global trade. The bank enters its second decade with a five-year strategic plan running from 2025 to 2030 now in full implementation.
