President John Mahama has encouraged Japanese companies to use Ghana as their entry point into Africa, stressing that the country offers access to a continental market of 1.4 billion people.
According to him, Ghana stands out as “a stable, democratic, business-friendly gateway to West Africa and the continent,” pointing to its expanding consumer base, stronger economic fundamentals, and reforms that make it easier and cheaper to do business.
The President made these remarks at the Ghana Presidential Investment Forum, held in Japan during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IX) on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
President Mahama said Ghana’s location and its role as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat give it a unique advantage, as investors can trade across nearly 50 African countries without tariffs or duties.
“The sub-regional market, which is West Africa, is 400 million people. Ghana is 33 million people. And the continental market is 1.4 billion people. With the vehicle of the African continental free trade area, you potentially can export into 1.4 billion markets,” he said.
On the economy, the President highlighted Ghana’s progress in stabilizing key indicators.
He said inflation, which climbed to almost 23 percent in 2024, has since dropped to 13.7 percent and is projected to fall into single digits by year’s end.
He also noted that the Ghanaian cedi has shown strong performance this year, calling it “the best performing currency in the world,” and added that Ghana’s credit rating has improved from junk status to B-minus with a stable outlook.
