Mr Thomas Nyarko Ampem, Deputy Minister for Finance, has stated that the Government’s economic reset agenda places strong emphasis on productive transformation, food security, and private sector-led growth as part of efforts to build a resilient and sustainable economy.
He said the agenda, being pursued under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, is focused on unlocking growth in key productive sectors, particularly agriculture, while creating an enabling environment for businesses and investors.
Mr Ampem noted that government interventions were currently targeted at strengthening agricultural value chains, improving market coordination, supporting price stability measures and enhancing the overall investment climate.
According to him, these efforts are aimed at boosting local production, increasing value addition and reducing the country’s dependence on imports, especially in the food sector.
The Deputy Minister said renewed macroeconomic stability and growing investor confidence were also helping to position Ghana as an attractive destination for long-term investment in strategic sectors of the economy.
He made the remarks while addressing participants at the 2026 West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra.
Mr Ampem stressed the need for stakeholders across the West African sub-region to move beyond policy discussions and focus on mobilising practical financing solutions capable of driving large-scale rice production.
“West Africa does not need more declarations. We need to create pipelines of bankable projects capable of crowding in long-term capital at scale,” he stated.
He observed that despite the region’s vast agricultural potential, inadequate investment and limited access to long-term financing continued to constrain efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production.
The Deputy Minister called for stronger collaboration among governments, financial institutions, development partners and private investors to bridge the financing gap and accelerate agricultural transformation.
He expressed optimism that the Roundtable would generate strategic partnerships, investment commitments and innovative financing models to support the growth of the rice industry across the region.
Mr Ampem said increased investment in rice production would not only strengthen food security but also create jobs, improve rural livelihoods and reduce the significant foreign exchange spent on rice imports.
He noted that building resilient regional food systems had become increasingly important in the face of global supply chain disruptions, climate-related challenges and rising food demand.
The Roundtable brought together policymakers, investors, development finance institutions and agribusiness stakeholders to explore opportunities for scaling up investment in rice production and enhancing food security across West Africa.
Participants discussed strategies for attracting capital into the rice value chain, improving productivity and strengthening regional cooperation to reduce the region’s dependence on imported rice.
