President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday positioned the country as one of Africa’s most promising investment destinations, citing macroeconomic stability, currency gains, and regulatory reforms aimed at attracting more foreign capital.
Speaking at the Ghana Presidential Investment Forum on the sidelines of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama, Mahama said Ghana’s recovery had strengthened investor confidence and created new opportunities in key growth sectors.
“Inflation rose to a high of almost 23% in 2024, and it’s currently down to 13.7%. We expect that by the end of the year, it will hit single digits,” Mahama told an audience of Japanese business leaders and policymakers. “Our cedi has stabilised. A few years back, we were said to be the worst-performing currency in Africa. I’m happy to announce that this year, the Ghana cedi has been the best-performing currency in the world.”
The President also pointed to a sovereign ratings improvement that signalled renewed international confidence in Ghana’s economy. “We’ve been upgraded from junk status to B- with a stable outlook. I’m certain that in the next review, we’re going to be upgraded again,” he said.
To expand investment opportunities, Mahama announced revisions to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act that will lower entry barriers for foreign investors. “We are removing minimal capital requirements. This will enable any investor, however little money you have, $100,000, $50,000, to come in and set up a business in Ghana,” he explained.
He stressed Ghana’s strategic role as a gateway to West Africa and the wider African market, anchored by political stability, a growing consumer base, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) headquartered in Accra. “With the vehicle of the AfCFTA, you potentially can export into 1.4 billion markets,” Mahama said.
The President identified agribusiness, automotive assembly, energy, and industrialisation as priority sectors for growth. He outlined plans for the “Volta Economic Corridor,” an initiative to transform irrigation-fed farmlands into agro-industrial hubs, with industrial parks supporting exports to African, European, and American markets.
“Ghana is a land of opportunity, and many nationals from all over the world are investing in Ghana,” he said. “Africa is the next frontier for investment. Most parts of the world are saturated when it comes to investment. Africa is opening up, is growing, and is a place that Japan should be looking at.”
Mahama urged Japanese businesses to deepen their footprint in Ghana, highlighting complementarities between Japanese expertise and Ghanaian potential. “Let us marry Japanese precision with Ghanaian potential and create a win-win situation for ourselves,” he said, noting existing investments by Toyota, Honda, and other firms.
He also stressed government support for private-sector partnerships, digital innovation, and renewable energy development, while reaffirming commitments to infrastructure expansion under Ghana’s $10 billion “Big Push” program.
Concluding his pitch, Mahama declared Ghana “open for business 24 hours a day,” positioning the country’s transformation agenda around innovation, industrialisation, and regional integration.
