Ghana’s investment promotion authority is stepping up pressure on foreign investors to move beyond raw commodity exports and commit to establishing processing and manufacturing operations in the country, as Indian business interest in value-added industries continues to grow.
Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Chief Executive Officer Simon Madjie made the call during a meeting with a delegation from the Ghana India Chamber of Commerce, saying the country’s priority is to deepen local value addition rather than perpetuate the export of unprocessed raw materials that have historically dominated trade flows.
Madjie said recent discussions with international firms point to rising interest in establishing processing plants in cocoa, textiles, and food production, and described these as encouraging signs of renewed confidence in Ghana’s industrialisation agenda. He urged investors to move from exploration to action, particularly in sectors where Ghana holds strong raw material advantages.
Between 1994 and September 2024, Indian firms invested in roughly 818 projects across Ghana, with a combined value reaching US$1.92 billion, according to GIPC data, underscoring India’s long-term commercial footprint in the country.
Kwabena Ekremet, President of the Ghana India Chamber of Commerce, said Indian investors are increasingly looking at opportunities in local production, especially in cocoa processing and food manufacturing, and both sides agreed to promote investment that supports technology transfer, strengthens Ghana’s export capacity, and drives broader economic transformation.
The push aligns with a government directive that from the 2026/27 crop season, a minimum of 50% of Ghana’s cocoa beans must be processed locally, with the state-owned Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) to be revived as the leading processor. That mandate has created a clear opening for foreign partners with processing technology and capital.
Madjie has consistently argued that Africa must take deliberate steps to industrialise by shifting from the export of raw materials to value addition and local production, describing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key instrument for driving industrial development and economic transformation across the continent.
Ghana has been positioning itself as a manufacturing and processing hub in West Africa, with policymakers seeking to leverage free-zone incentives and infrastructure improvements to attract long-term capital. The GIPC is targeting the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, large-scale infrastructure, and agriculture-led transformation as the three pillars for investor engagement this year.
