Opoku-Agyemang Urges Chinese Investors to Add Value in Ghana

Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called on Chinese investors to move beyond the export of raw materials and instead focus on adding value within Ghana. According to a report by Onua TV, the Vice President made the appeal as part of efforts to drive industrial growth and create opportunities for Ghanaians.

Her message centres on a long-standing concern in Ghana’s economic relationship with foreign investors: the tendency to ship raw commodities abroad for processing, which limits the jobs and revenue that stay in the country. By urging Chinese firms to process and manufacture locally, the Vice President is pushing for a model where more of the value chain is retained on Ghanaian soil.

Value addition has been a recurring theme in government economic policy, with officials arguing that processing cocoa, minerals and agricultural produce locally would boost employment and reduce dependence on imports. The Vice President’s appeal to Chinese investors signals a desire to align foreign investment with that broader industrialisation agenda.

The call also reflects Ghana’s growing emphasis on partnerships that deliver tangible local benefits rather than extractive arrangements. Whether Chinese investors respond with new processing facilities and joint ventures remains to be seen, but the Vice President’s remarks set a clear expectation for the direction of future investment.