Executive Chairman of the McDan Group, Daniel McKorley, is calling for a stronger push toward industrialisation, saying Ghana cannot transform its economy if it continues to export raw materials without adding value.

Addressing the launch of the 10th Ghana CEO Summit in Accra, Mr. McKorley said the country must move beyond policy discussions and commit to practical industrial execution.

“Firstly, industrialization must move from policy to execution,” he said. “Ghana cannot continue to rely heavily on raw export like gold, salt, cocoa, oil, without significant value addition.”

He said Ghanaian business leaders must take a more deliberate long-term view by investing in industries that process locally produced raw materials and create employment at scale.

“We, as captains of industry, must think far. We must process what we produce and build industries that create jobs at large scale,” he said.

Mr. McKorley linked that call directly to the country’s wider economic transformation agenda, arguing that industrialisation remains essential if Ghana is to become more competitive, reduce dependence on commodity exports and build a more resilient economy.

He also highlighted the role of technology in supporting that transformation, saying modern competitiveness will increasingly depend on efficiency across sectors.

“Technology must drive efficiency and competitiveness from logistics to agriculture to financial, talking about a global supply chain,” he said.

His remarks come as this year’s summit focuses on “accelerating Ghana’s economic transformation” through leadership, technology and industrialisation. For Mr. McKorley, that theme is not merely timely but urgent, especially as Ghana seeks to reposition itself for growth and job creation.