President John Mahama has encouraged Japanese businesses to take advantage of Ghana’s unique position as a commercial entry point to Africa, emphasizing that the country offers stability, opportunity, and a direct link to a continental market of 1.4 billion people.
Speaking during the Ghana Presidential Investment Forum at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IX) in Japan, the President described Ghana as “a stable, democratic, business-friendly gateway to West Africa and the continent.”
He noted Ghana’s geographical advantage and the presence of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra, which opens the door to duty-free and tariff-free trade across nearly 50 African nations. “The sub-regional market, which is West Africa, is 400 million people. Ghana is 33 million people. And the continental market is 1.4 billion people. With the vehicle of the African continental free trade area, you potentially can export into 1.4 billion markets,” Mahama told the gathering.
The President highlighted Ghana’s improving economic fundamentals, pointing out that inflation, which had climbed to almost 23 percent in 2024, had fallen to 13.7 percent and was on track to reach single digits by the end of the year. He also underscored the stability of the Ghanaian cedi, which he described as “the best performing currency in the world this year,” adding that the nation’s credit rating had been upgraded from junk status to B minus with a stable outlook.
On investment reforms, Mahama explained that Ghana was revising its Investment Promotion Centre Act to eliminate minimum capital requirements for foreign investors, ensuring that businesses of all sizes could set up operations. “This will enable any investor, however little money you have, $100,000, $50,000, to be able to come in and set up a business in Ghana,” he said.
Mahama identified key sectors ripe for Japanese investment, including agribusiness, automobile assembly, energy, manufacturing, and digital innovation. He pointed to Toyota and Honda, who are already assembling in Ghana, as examples of global firms benefitting from the country’s position in both local and regional markets.
Agriculture, he noted, remained a strong comparative advantage, with plans for a Volta Economic Corridor that would transform vast arable lands into irrigated farmland and host industrial parks for agro-processing and textiles. He further referenced Ghana’s energy potential, from hydro and thermal plants to gas-to-power projects, as well as its integration into the West African Power Pool, which allows surplus electricity exports to neighboring nations.
Mahama also emphasized Ghana’s infrastructure and digital growth. He praised the modern ports in Tema and Takoradi, including the MPS Port in Tema, which he described as “one of the best performing ports in Africa,” capable of hosting the world’s largest vessels. On technology, he pointed to a fast-growing digital economy fueled by a young, English-speaking population and an innovative fintech industry.
To reassure investors, the President pledged efficiency and speed at the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), promising that registrations and approvals would be processed within 24 hours. He added that Ghana offered public-private partnerships, blended finance, and joint ventures with local companies, stressing that “your business will be protected and will not be expropriated.”
Looking ahead, he invited Japanese investors to consider Ghana as their hub for Africa, saying, “Africa is the next frontier for investment. Most parts of the world are saturated when it comes to investment. Africa is opening up, growing, and is a place that Japan should be looking at. Let us marry Japanese precision with Ghanaian potential and create a win-win situation for ourselves.”
He concluded by reaffirming Ghana’s readiness for business under his $10 billion “Big Push” infrastructure programme and the new 24-hour economy initiative aimed at increasing productivity and exports. “Ghana is open for business 24 hours a day,” Mahama declared.
