Mahama Drops Big Announcement For Ghanaians

President John Dramani Mahama has announced an ambitious goal for Ghana to reduce its dependence on exporting unprocessed natural resources by 2030, as the government seeks to accelerate industrial growth, expand job opportunities and retain more wealth within the national economy.

The President outlined the vision during a panel discussion at the 2026 Future Investment Initiative, stressing that Ghana must invest more heavily in industries that can convert locally sourced raw materials into products ready for domestic consumption and international markets.

He argued that African economies would struggle to achieve their full economic potential if they continued selling raw commodities abroad while purchasing finished products at higher costs.

Mahama emphasised that establishing processing plants and strengthening manufacturing capacity across Africa would help countries generate employment, improve industrial output and create greater economic opportunities for young people.

He maintained that the continent needed to change its traditional approach to resource exports and prioritise activities that generate additional value before products leave its shores.

According to the President, meeting the 2030 objective would require coordinated investments in industrial infrastructure, local production facilities and businesses capable of transforming natural resources into higher-value goods.

He added that the strategy was intended to strengthen domestic enterprises, create sustainable employment and reduce African countries’ dependence on overseas processing industries.

Cocoa is among the key commodities expected to benefit from the government’s drive to expand local processing.

Mahama said Ghana was pursuing a target of processing at least 50 per cent of its annual cocoa production within the country, a move intended to increase the economic returns from the crop.

The proposed strategy would allow locally processed cocoa to supply domestic manufacturing activities, while the remaining production could continue to serve export markets.

Expanding the sector could also stimulate investment in chocolate production, packaging and other related industries, providing opportunities for Ghanaian businesses to operate at different stages of the cocoa value chain.

The government believes that greater domestic processing would enable the country to capture more value from cocoa instead of depending predominantly on the export of raw beans.

The President also highlighted bauxite as a mineral that could contribute significantly to Ghana’s industrial development if the country strengthened its local processing capacity.

He identified the lack of an alumina refinery as a major limitation in the country’s efforts to maximise the value of its bauxite resources.

Mahama called for partnerships with investors to establish processing facilities that would support the production of alumina and help lay the foundation for a stronger domestic aluminium industry.

Such developments could enable Ghana to move beyond the export of raw minerals and participate in more profitable stages of the production chain.

He further pointed to downstream activities, including jewellery manufacturing, as potential areas for expanding local industrial capacity, diversifying economic activity and creating jobs.

The President’s broader objective is to build an industrial system in which natural resources extracted in Ghana are increasingly used to support manufacturing businesses within the country.

Mahama also addressed concerns that may discourage international investors from entering African markets, including questions surrounding investment security and property rights.

He urged investors to look beyond these concerns and recognise the commercial opportunities emerging as African countries seek to expand their productive sectors and strengthen their domestic economies.

The President stressed that cooperation between Ghana and international businesses would be essential to mobilising the capital and expertise needed to establish processing plants and manufacturing facilities.

He argued that investments in local production would help generate employment, improve industrial competitiveness and ensure that a greater share of the benefits from Ghana’s natural resources remained within the country.

The proposed 2030 deadline represents a significant ambition for Ghana’s industrialisation agenda, with increased cocoa processing, bauxite refining and downstream manufacturing forming important elements of the drive towards greater domestic value addition.

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