Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry is pressing development partners for deeper support as the government works to shift the economy toward manufacturing and value-added exports, reducing its longstanding dependence on primary commodities.
Deputy Trade Minister Sampson Ahi outlined the ministry’s priorities during a meeting of the Private Sector Working Group, saying efforts are anchored on the government’s 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, known as 24H+. The initiative aims to broaden the export base and create large-scale employment through industrial expansion.
The engagement brought together government officials and development partners to discuss reforms targeting private sector competitiveness, regulatory bottlenecks and trade acceleration. Officials presented plans to strengthen agribusiness through the “Feed the Industry” initiative, designed to improve the supply of raw materials to local manufacturers.
The ministry also reiterated a target to grow non-traditional exports to $10 billion by 2029 and flagged plans to revive the textile and garment sector as a vehicle for job creation at scale. Ongoing regulatory reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business and attracting investment into strategic sectors were also highlighted during the discussions.
Support from development partners was described as critical in several areas including long-term financing, digitalisation, market intelligence, skills development and infrastructure expansion. Talks also covered the Green, Digital and Inclusive Private Sector Development Project, which seeks to align industrial growth with sustainability and digital transformation objectives.
Representatives from the European Union (EU) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) pledged continued backing for the ministry’s priority programmes, signalling sustained international engagement with Ghana’s industrialisation agenda as the government works to stabilise the broader economy and deepen private sector-led growth.
