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President John Dramani Mahama has called for deeper economic collaboration between Ghana and Japan, identifying the automobile and agribusiness sectors as key areas of strategic partnership.
Speaking at the Presidential Investment Forum, President Mahama applauded existing collaborations with Japanese automobile companies such as Toyota and Honda, which are already assembling vehicles in Ghana for domestic and regional markets.
“Ghana offers a stable platform and unmatched market access,” he stated. “Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Japanese manufacturers operating in Ghana can export duty-free to 54 other countries. That’s an opportunity no investor should ignore.”
The President also urged Japanese companies to expand into agribusiness, pointing to Ghana’s favorable climate, vast arable land, and abundant water resources. He outlined plans for the Volta Economic Corridor, an integrated development initiative that will host agro-processing facilities, textile factories, and industrial hubs to drive value addition and exports.
Mahama stressed that such partnerships are aligned with Ghana’s broader development goals, including industrialization, food security, and job creation. “Africa is not just a resource base,” he said. “We are building industries. We are transforming raw materials into finished products.”
He further encouraged Japanese firms to consider joint ventures with Ghanaian entrepreneurs and to invest in skills development. Training centers in robotics, artificial intelligence, fintech, and automotive technology, he noted, would not only benefit companies but also prepare Ghana’s youth for the future of work.
President Mahama concluded with a strong appeal: “Let us marry Japanese precision with Ghanaian potential and create a win-win model for industrial development in Africa.”
