OPDAG President Paul Amaning Engages at TICAD 9 in Japan

The President of the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana (OPDAG), Mr. Paul Kwabena Amaning, has commended the Government of Ghana, through the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), for its continued commitment to strengthening the oil palm sector and positioning it as a key driver of economic growth.

During his participation at TICAD 9 in Japan, Mr. Amaning engaged the Chief Executive Officer of GIPC in discussions focused on closing Ghana’s palm oil supply gap and attracting strategic investment into the industry. He clarified that Ghana currently produces about 260,000 metric tons of crude palm oil (CPO) annually well below the national demand of 400,000 metric tons. This deficit has forced the country to import approximately 140,000 metric tons each year, valued at nearly $150 million, draining scarce foreign exchange. He stressed that with the right investment, technology, and policy support, Ghana has the potential to significantly scale up production, reduce imports, and generate large-scale employment in what is already a highly labour-intensive sector.

Mr. Amaning also met with Ghana’s Ministry of Trade And Agribusiness Minister Hon Elizabeth Agyare and the Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), Dr. Andy Okrah, to deliberate on strategies for unlocking private sector participation. Encouragingly, a number of international investors expressed strong interest in the sector. Among them was Three Ring Japan, which pledged to support the industry by deploying DJER Traceability Technology an advanced blockchain-based system designed to tackle the persistent challenge of cooking oil smuggling and to strengthen transparency and accountability across the palm oil value chain. In addition, Certain GTS, a Korean carbon credit investment firm, was part of the discussions, signalling opportunities to integrate carbon financing into the expansion of sustainable palm oil production in Ghana.

The OPDAG President reiterated his firm belief that palm oil presents one of the strongest opportunities for Africa’s economic transformation. He emphasized that Ghana must not only aim for self-sufficiency in palm oil but also aspire to become a leading regional hub for production, processing, and trade. He called on both local and foreign investors to take advantage of the vast opportunities in the sector, noting that with the right partnerships, the oil palm industry can serve as a true engine of growth for Ghana’s economy.