Trade Minister woos Japanese investors at TICAD9, highlights opportunities in Ghana’s automotive, textiles & green industry

Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has urged Japanese businesses to expand their investment footprint in Ghana, emphasising the country’s strategic position as a reliable gateway for companies looking to enter African markets.

Addressing the Kansai Africa Business Forum in Osaka, Japan, a side event of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), the Minister outlined investment opportunities in textiles, automotive, green industrialisation, and carbon financing.

She noted Ghana’s potential to become a competitive force in high-quality textile and apparel exports through the integrated cotton cultivation value chain. On the automotive front, she pointed out that Ghana already hosts vehicle assembly plants and is positioning itself as a hub under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with growing regional demand for vehicles and components.

Highlighting Ghana’s commitment to sustainable growth, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare stressed opportunities in renewable energy, waste-to-value initiatives, and low-carbon manufacturing, which she said could both reduce emissions and create new revenue streams for investors.

She reaffirmed Ghana’s readiness to strengthen trade with Japan, assuring Japanese firms that the country offers a conducive business environment and is strategically positioned to be their most reliable partner in Africa.