Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating industrialisation and transforming its productive base as the Africa Trade Chamber officially launched the 2026 Africa Trade Summit in Accra. Delivering the keynote address, the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Ajare, outlined ambitious measures aimed at positioning the economy for round-the-clock productivity, stronger value addition, and deeper regional integration under the AfCFTA.
She said this year’s Summit theme — “Financing Africa’s Industrialization: Developing Industrial Value Chains, Beneficiation, and Market Integration” — reflects a growing continental determination to shift from raw commodity dependency to a resilient, interconnected industrial ecosystem capable of generating sustainable growth and mass employment.
According to the Minister, Ghana is restructuring its production architecture to support a 24-hour economy across manufacturing, agro-processing, logistics, healthcare, digital services and other strategic sectors. This model, she noted, will boost national output, improve service delivery and unlock expanded job opportunities for the country’s youthful labour force.
She explained: “The goal is simple — increase national output, expand employment, enhance turnaround times and position Ghana as a continuous production hub for regional and global markets. This is a practical restructuring of how our economy operates and a clear invitation to the private sector to scale up and invest.”
Mrs. Ofosu-Ajare stressed that Africa must break away from its historic pattern of exporting raw materials only to import finished goods at higher costs. She highlighted ongoing efforts to expand processing capacity along key value chains, including cocoa, cashew, shea, palm oil, coconut and cassava.
She noted that domestic cocoa grinders, chocolate manufacturers and agro-processing SMEs are expanding with strong government support, reinforcing Ghana’s commitment to retaining more value from its natural resource base.
She added: “For far too long, African economies have exported raw commodities only to import finished products at several times the value. Ghana is changing that narrative. We are increasing cocoa processing, building stronger agribusiness linkages and establishing new cashew and garment factories. Value addition is the way forward — and value extension is non-negotiable.”
The Minister also highlighted major progress in trade infrastructure, citing the recent commissioning of phases one and two of the Tema Port expansion project by President John Dramani Mahama. The upgraded terminals, modern handling systems and improved turnaround times now place Tema among Africa’s most advanced container ports.
She noted that Tamale, Takoradi and other strategic ports are also undergoing modernisation to support bulk handling, energy trade and regional logistics under the AfCFTA.
She said: “Industrialisation cannot thrive without efficient trade and logistics systems. The new Tema Port marks a major milestone, transforming Ghana into one of the continent’s most efficient maritime gateways. As host of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Ghana views the agreement as the backbone of Africa’s industrial future, giving producers access to a market of 1.3 billion people.”
Mrs. Ofosu-Ajare urged the private sector, development partners and financial institutions to align their financing frameworks with Africa’s long-term industrialisation agenda, rather than short-term project cycles. She called for increased investment in manufacturing, regional supply chains and productive infrastructure.
She concluded by reaffirming Ghana’s strong political will to drive rapid, sustainable industrialisation:
“Our policies are sound, and the political will is unwavering. We will industrialise through improved agriculture, functional factories, strengthened value chains and modern trade corridors. The future is Africa — and Ghana stands firm in its commitment to this continental transformation.”
She invited investors, partners and regional stakeholders to return in January as Ghana advances its agenda to build a resilient industrial economy anchored on continuous production, competitiveness and inclusive growth.
By Bawa Musah
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