This blog is managed by the content creator and not GhanaWeb, its affiliates, or employees. Advertising on this blog requires a minimum of GH₵50 a week. Contact the blog owner with any queries.
President John Dramani Mahama has called for urgent and coordinated financing to accelerate Africa’s industrialisation, warning that political independence without economic transformation remains incomplete.
Delivering the keynote address at the maiden Africa Trade Summit 2026 in Accra on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, President Mahama said Africa could no longer sustain an economic model that exports raw materials while importing finished goods. He described the continent as being at a historic turning point and stressed that industrialisation was no longer optional, noting that Africa’s share of global manufacturing remains below two per cent.
The summit, held under the theme “Financing Africa’s Industrialisation: Developing Industrial Value Chains, Beneficiation and Market Integration,” brought together Heads of State, ministers, development partners, private sector leaders, and multilateral institutions, including the President of São Tomé and Príncipe.
President Mahama called for innovative financing approaches, including stronger domestic resource mobilisation, the deployment of pension and sovereign wealth funds, and the use of blended finance instruments. He also urged governments to create stable policy environments to attract private investment and appealed to development partners to support de-risking mechanisms and global financial reforms.
He highlighted the importance of value addition and beneficiation in sectors such as cocoa, oil, textiles, and minerals, and stressed that Africa’s industrial future depends on regional value chains and integrated markets. On the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), he described it as a historic opportunity to transform Africa into a manufacturing hub, noting Ghana’s continued commitment as host of the Secretariat.
In a statement, the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, said Ghana was pursuing sector-focused industrial strategies supported by innovative financing, with priority areas including textiles and garments, automotive components, and pharmaceuticals.
The summit also featured calls from development partners and private sector leaders for Africa to move from policy ambition to production, deepen regional coordination under AfCFTA, and adopt a private sector–led approach to industrialisation.
Organisers said the Africa Trade Summit aims to shift the continent from dialogue to decisive action, positioning industrialisation as a central driver of jobs, value creation, and long-term economic resilience.
