The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has called for a rethink of Ghana’s trade strategy to support industrial growth, sustainable development and job creation.
Speaking at a joint seminar organised by the World Bank, African Centre for Economic Transformation and Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research in Accra on Thursday, the Minister said Ghana must move beyond dependence on raw material exports and build a stronger value-driven economy.
She noted that Ghana’s recent macroeconomic gains, including a trade surplus of US$13.6 billion in 2025 and improved international reserves, should encourage the country to deepen industrialisation and diversify exports.
She attributed the gains to economic reforms and fiscal discipline under the administration of President Mahama, but stressed that long-term prosperity would depend on value addition and domestic production.
The minister affirmed the government’s commitment to transforming Ghana into a self-reliant and export-led economy through local processing and manufacturing.
“We recorded nontraditional exports of US$5 billion in 2025, representing a 30.7 per cent increase over the previous year, with processed and semi-processed goods contributing more than US$3 billion of total export earnings. Cocoa derivatives such as paste, butter and powder were among the leading export products, underscoring the importance of adding value to our raw materials before export,” she said.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare disclosed that Ghana aims to process at least 50 per cent of its cocoa locally and has already installed grinding capacity exceeding 500,000 metric tonnes to support the target.
She added that similar reforms are underway in the gold sector to retain more value within the local economy.
She said the Ministry continues to engage manufacturers, exporters and trade associations to address production challenges, improve standards and strengthen the competitiveness of Ghanaian products on the international market.
On regional trade, the Minister said Ghana is advocating the harmonisation of trade standards within the Economic Community of West African States to improve competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She said discussions are also ongoing with neighbouring countries to address cross-border trade challenges and improve compliance.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare commended the organisers of the seminar for creating a platform for policy discussions on trade and economic development.
On her part, the Regional Director of the World Bank, Seynabou Sakho, said Ghana could derive greater benefits from trade by improving logistics systems, strengthening quality certification processes and addressing sector-specific constraints.
She noted that trade has the capacity to drive economic growth and create jobs if supported by the right reforms and policies.
The seminar forms part of a new series organised jointly by the World Bank, ACET and ISSER to encourage public discussion on trade policy and national development. It was held on the theme “Rethinking Trade for Growth and Jobs in Ghana.”
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
