Ghana pushes cocoa processing drive to boost exports and create jobs
The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has unveiled plans aimed at transforming Ghana’s economy from one heavily reliant on raw commodity exports into a more industrialised, value-driven and job-creating economy.
Speaking at the joint seminar organised by the World Bank, African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) and Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) in Accra on Thursday, May 7, 2026, the Minister said Ghana’s ongoing economic recovery offers a major opportunity to accelerate industrial growth and strengthen the country’s competitiveness in both regional and international markets.
Addressing participants at the seminar themed “Rethinking Trade for Growth and Jobs in Ghana,” she noted that although Ghana’s macroeconomic performance has improved significantly, long-term economic prosperity will depend on the country’s ability to increase local manufacturing, process more raw materials domestically and diversify exports.
According to her, Ghana recorded a historic trade surplus of US$13.6 billion in 2025 alongside strong international reserves, achievements she attributed to ongoing economic reforms and fiscal discipline under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama.
She, however, stressed that macroeconomic stability alone would not guarantee sustainable development.
“Ghana is committed to moving beyond the export of raw commodities to building a resilient, self-reliant and export-led economy that creates sustainable jobs for its people,” she stated.
The Minister explained that value addition remains a key component of government’s industrialisation agenda, especially within the cocoa and gold sectors where efforts are being intensified to retain more economic value locally.
She disclosed that Ghana’s non-traditional exports increased to a record US$5 billion in 2025, representing a 30.7 percent rise from the previous year. Processed and semi-processed products contributed more than US$3 billion of the total, with cocoa derivatives such as cocoa paste, butter and powder emerging among the leading foreign exchange earners.
Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare further revealed that Ghana aims to process at least 50 percent of its cocoa domestically and has already established grinding capacity exceeding 500,000 metric tonnes to support the target.
She added that reforms are also underway in the gold sector to deepen local beneficiation, increase export value and create more skilled employment opportunities for Ghanaians.
At the policy level, the Minister said the Ministry is engaging manufacturers, exporters and trade associations to address operational challenges, improve product standards and boost the competitiveness of Ghanaian products on the global market.
She also highlighted the government’s flagship Feed the Industry Programme, which seeks to ensure consistent access to quality raw materials for local manufacturers while addressing low production capacity within the industrial sector.
According to her, industrial expansion cannot be achieved without a reliable supply of raw materials to support domestic production.
On regional trade and continental integration, the Minister said Ghana continues to advocate for the harmonisation of trade standards within Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to improve competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
She indicated that bilateral engagements are also ongoing to remove cross-border trade barriers, strengthen compliance systems and facilitate easier movement of goods across African markets.
Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare commended the World Bank, ACET and ISSER for creating a platform to promote dialogue on trade policy and economic transformation.
She called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, academia, development partners and the private sector to implement strategic reforms capable of driving inclusive economic growth and job creation.
Meanwhile, Seynabou Sakho, Regional Director of the World Bank, said Ghana could unlock greater trade opportunities by improving logistics systems, strengthening quality certification frameworks and addressing production challenges across key sectors.
The seminar forms part of a new joint initiative by the World Bank, ACET and ISSER aimed at promoting informed public discussions on trade policy and economic transformation in Ghana.
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