President John Dramani Mahama has urged investors to consider Ghana as a base for expanding into Africa, describing the country as a strategic gateway to a continental market of more than 1.4 billion people.
Addressing the Ghana-UK Investment Summit in London on Monday, President Mahama said Ghana’s location, political stability and access to regional markets place it in a favourable position for businesses seeking opportunities across Africa.
He noted that investors who establish operations in Ghana gain access not only to the country’s market of more than 34 million people but also to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has a population exceeding 425 million, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which covers more than 1.4 billion consumers with a combined gross domestic product of over $3 trillion.
“No serious global investor can ignore the scale of opportunity emerging across Africa,” President Mahama said. “Few countries are better positioned than Ghana to serve as a platform and hub for engaging that opportunity.”
He described Ghana’s greatest competitive advantage as its people, calling them young, ambitious and entrepreneurial.
Government, he said, was strengthening public sector reforms, digitising public services, improving regulatory efficiency and simplifying business registration to make the environment more responsive to investors.
A recently passed Ghana Investment Promotion Authority Act also removes minimum capital requirements across many sectors, strengthens investor protections and guarantees the repatriation of profits.
“Ghana is not only a national market of over 34 million people,” President Mahama said. “Ghana is your strategic entry point into the ECOWAS and African markets.”
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
