Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland, H.E. Mrs Sabah Zita Benson, has urged global investors to establish factories in Ghana and use the country as a base to serve the wider African market, leveraging Accra’s position as the host city of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
Addressing the Ghana Investor Day at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge on Thursday, October 15, 2026, under the theme “From Confidence to Capital,” she described Ghana as a gateway to global markets and said the time had come for strategic investment decisions to translate into lasting partnerships.
Mrs Benson said the world is at a crossroads, with Africa projected to account for more than one in four people globally and one in three of the world’s young people by 2050.
She noted that manufacturing contributes just 10.8% of Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP), compared with the global average of 16.5%, despite the continent being home to nearly one in five people worldwide.
“We are at a crossroads, and the stakes are high. By 2050, more than one in four people on this planet, and one in three of the world’s young people, will be African.
“They will either build the factories of the future or queue for jobs that do not exist. Manufacturing accounts for just 10.8% of Africa’s GDP, against a global average of 16.5%,” she said.
Mrs Benson also outlined President John Dramani Mahama’s Reset Agenda, which places industrialisation at the centre of Ghana’s economic transformation.
She identified five key pillars underpinning the agenda: the 24-Hour Economy, supported by the 24-Hour Economy Authority Act, which received presidential assent in February 2026; strategic sector policies targeting industries such as automotive manufacturing, garments and pharmaceuticals; value addition to natural resources through initiatives such as bauxite-to-aluminium production and lithium processing; stronger linkages between agriculture and industry; and industrial infrastructure development through integrated industrial parks and the GH¢30 billion Big Push programme.
The High Commissioner further assured investors that measures are being strengthened to protect their interests under the new Ghana Investment Promotion Authority Act, which expands the mandate of the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA) and provides for a dedicated investor grievance mechanism.
She encouraged prospective investors to raise their concerns and seek clarity on issues affecting their investment decisions. She also urged project sponsors to present clear financial information and realistic implementation timelines.
“Your protections are also being strengthened. The new Ghana Investment Promotion Authority Act has expanded GIPA’s mandate, including a dedicated investor grievance mechanism.
“If you encounter a difficulty, there is a door to knock on, and a team to answer it,” she said.
Story by Bright Yao Dzaka
