The Deputy Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Mr Sampson Ahi, has urged Ghanaian companies to take advantage of opportunities in the Japanese market to expand their businesses.
Mr Ahi noted that this would offer local businesses a better chance of attracting foreign investment and also strengthen international partnerships.
He made the call in Accra on Thursday at a reception for a 35-member Japanese business delegation to Ghana.
The delegation, led by the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ms Kunimitsu Ayano, was in the country on a two-day business and networking visit with their Ghanaian counterparts.
The visit, among other things, was to enable both countries to learn about the business environment and investment prospects in each country.
Mr Ahi said business and trade relations between the two countries should be strengthened.
“We want to see more Ghanaian companies in all sectors taking advantage of Japanese business opportunities to establish themselves overseas and also attract the needed investment for their operations,” he stressed.
According to him, pragmatic steps must be taken at the end of the deliberations to enable Ghanaian businessmen and women interested in the Japanese market to have easy access without challenges.
Mr Ahi stated that his ministry was working hard to ensure that Ghana increased the volume of exports of non-traditional commodities to Japan.
The Deputy Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry also mentioned that as of 2025, the trade volume between Ghana and Japan stood at $335 million.
He added that Ghana had exported mainly cocoa, manganese and aluminium, valued at $215 million, to Japan.
Mr Ahi said $12 million worth of vehicles and machinery were also imported from Japan to Ghana.
The Deputy Minister reiterated government’s efforts to increase the trade volume between Ghana and Japan.
He, therefore, urged participating businesses to establish concrete business plans with the delegation to enable them to grow and expand their businesses.
“We are cooperating, signing MOUs, and transforming the MOUs into joint ventures and actual business agreements and relationships so that this two-day business trip to Ghana will be very fruitful,” he stated.
Ms Ayano, for her part, said it was expected that the visit by the delegation would help build new relationships between Japanese companies and the Ghanaian business community.
The leader of the delegation stressed the need for the two countries to embrace the dynamism of the African economy, which would lead to concrete business development.
“I hope that these meetings will be fruitful, focusing on expanding bilateral economic relations,” she underlined.
The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Hiroshi Yoshimoto, indicated that there were potential gains in the spirit of collaboration and urged participants to intensify their interactions and exchanges to develop beneficial business opportunities.
By Victor A. Buxton
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