President John Mahama has expressed confidence that a new float glass factory under construction at Shama in the Western Region will become one of the largest in Africa and generate significant export revenue for Ghana.

Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony for the float glass manufacturing plant and the commissioning of a sanitary wares factory by KEDA (Ghana) Ceramics Company Limited, the President said the project would transform the country’s glass industry and reduce imports.

He noted that Ghana continues to rely heavily on imported glass products. “In 2024 alone, Ghana imported over 65,000 tons of glass products, which were valued at almost $25 million to meet the demand of our construction industry, automobile, and manufacturing sectors,” he said.

President Mahama explained that the new factory is expected to reverse that trend. According to him, the facility will reduce the country’s dependence on foreign glass and help conserve foreign exchange.

“This factory, the float glass factory, is going to change that equation. It will reduce our imports of glass, it will save us foreign exchange, and it will position Ghana as a major regional exporter of glass,” he stated.

He added that the scale of the project places it among the biggest on the continent.

“When completed, this will be one of the largest float glass facilities in Africa. We’re going to export glass from here to other African countries and also to Europe and other destinations,” the President said.

The President also highlighted the expected production capacity and export potential of the plant. At full capacity, the factory is projected to produce 1,400 tonnes of glass per day.

“At full capacity, when we’re producing 1,400 tons a day, the export earnings alone are projected to be almost $100 million annually,” he said.