President John Dramani Mahama has made a direct appeal to British businesses, urging them to capitalise on Ghana’s robust political stability and strategic position by establishing the country as their manufacturing and processing hub for the entire African continent.

The appeal came on Friday, September 19, during a diplomatic engagement in Accra where President Mahama officially welcomed the new British High Commissioner to Ghana, Christian Rogg.

The President’s core message centered on leveraging the newly operationalized African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which creates a single market of 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately $3.4 trillion.

President Mahama highlighted Ghana’s advantage as the host nation for the AfCFTA Secretariat and its long history of strong, democratic governance, which provides a predictable and secure environment for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

“We are encouraging more UK companies — there are already so many of them — but we are encouraging more to come and set up in Ghana, using Ghana as a hub and as a gateway to take advantage of the AfCFTA,” the President stated.

The President emphasized the monumental trade benefits now available under the continental agreement. “Because now, we are able to export duty-free, tariff-free into each other’s markets. So Ghana is positioning itself as the hub for manufacturing and processing into the other markets,” he explained.

The UK is already one of the largest foreign investors in Ghana, with data from the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) showing that over 200 UK-affiliated companies operate across sectors like mining, finance, telecommunications, and manufacturing. These companies contribute significantly to Ghana’s economy, employing tens of thousands of people.

In 2024 alone, bilateral trade between Ghana and the UK surpassed £1.5 billion ($1.85 billion), driven primarily by commodities and technology.

President Mahama's administration aims to significantly increase this figure by attracting UK manufacturing plants that can produce goods locally in Ghana and then export them across the continent, taking full advantage of the 90% tariff reduction offered by AfCFTA on qualifying goods.

The call signals a strategic focus on shifting Ghana’s economic base toward industrialization and value addition.

The meeting concluded with both President Mahama and High Commissioner Rogg affirming their commitment to strengthening the deep economic and diplomatic ties between the two nations, setting the stage for increased British commercial engagement in the West African economic powerhouse.