President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday presided over the Market Open ceremony at the London Stock Exchange, urging global investors to back Ghana’s growth and reap strong returns from the Ghana Stock Exchange.

The President officially signaled the start of the day’s trading activities at Paternoster Square, one of the world’s leading financial hubs, by ringing the iconic bell.

The visit to the LSE was a key part of President Mahama’s five-day high-level diplomatic and investment tour of the United Kingdom, aimed at repositioning Ghana as a premier destination for foreign direct investment.

His participation underscores Ghana’s commitment to deepening international financial partnerships and positioning the country as a strategic gateway for investment in Africa.

To back his pitch, Mahama touted Ghana’s improving economic indicators, noting that since assumption of office, over the past 18 months, the country had implemented disciplined macroeconomic reforms.

He highlighted significantly reduced inflation, a stabilised Cedi, and strengthened international reserves as evidence of renewed investor confidence.

President Mahama said the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) had been an institution for 35 years and that it had endured economic cycles, currency volatility, and periods of low activity.

He noted, however, that what they had witnessed in the past 12 months was nothing short of a renaissance.

He cited a Bloomberg report on that on May 15, that indicated that the GSE Composite index had delivered a return of 63.4 per cent, making it one of the world’s top-performing equity markets in 2026, which was second only to South Korea.

On the African continent, the GSE ranked second among all exchanges, with a United States Dollar return of plus 154 per cent and a local currency return of plus 79 per cent in 2025, he stated.

It trailed only Malawi in local terms, but delivered superior dollar-denominated returns for international investors.

“In a world searching for yield in a global environment of uncertainty and elevated risk premia, Ghana’s equity market has delivered returns that rival and, in many cases, surpass the world’s most developed exchanges,” the President said.

He reiterated that the equities market on the GSE currently stands at 263 billion Ghana cedis, complemented by a fixed income market of 253 billion Ghana cedis.

These represent a deep and liquid marketplace for capital deployment across both growth assets and income securities, he aadded.

Perhaps, the President said, the most compelling signal of renewed investor confidence was what had happened in their primary markets.

For approximately seven years, the Ghana Stock Exchange saw no new initial public offerings, he noted; declaring that “the pipeline had stalled and dried up”.

“New listings are the live blood of any exchange. That era, I can announce, is over.”

He said in the space of just six months, they had completed or announced three new landmark Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), which was the most active primary issuance period in nearly a decade.

He said that together, these transactions had raised approximately two billion Ghana cedis, equivalent to approximately $182 million, and that they had added 11 billion cedis in market capitalisation to the nation’s exchange.

The First Atlantic Bank PLC listed on December 19, 2025, raising 742 million Ghana cedis, with the offer oversubscribed.

The proceeds were directed towards West African expansion and capital-based strengthening, he explained.

The President emphasised that it highlighted a powerful signal from one of Ghana’s leading financial institutions that a time to access public capital markets had returned.

Then followed Zen Petroleum Holdings PLC, which completed its listing in March and April 2026, raising 640 million Ghana Cedis, which was also oversubscribed.

He said 96 per cent of the proceeds were allocated to working capital, enabling this energy sector leader to scale its operations across the downstream petroleum value chain.

President Mahama said Kasapreko PLC was set to list on June 15, which would offer prices of one cedis per share, with a target to raise 700 million cedis to fund expansion of its production facilities.

“ Kasapreko is one of Ghana’s most recognisable consumer brands,” he stated, adding the listing represented an opportunity for investors at the meeting, including himself, to participate directly in Ghana’s expanding consumer economy.

“Three IPOs, three oversubscriptions, three sectors, banking, energy, and fast-moving consumer goods. This is not a coincidence. This is confidence,” he emphasised.

“For those considering investments in Ghanaian securities, I want to be direct about one thing. The Ghana Stock Exchange has been built for international participation. You do not need to visit Ghana. You do not need physical presence. Investment is 100 per cent remote.”

President Mahama said the exchange operated an automated trading platform, including Infotech UK and Bloomberg eBond that were globally integrated and accessible.

It also holds ISO 27000222 certifications, reflecting world-class standards in information security and business continuity.

President Mahama said the nation’s central securities depository was operated by Montran, and it provided fully automated depository clearing and settlement systems, ensuring that their investments were held securely and were settled efficiently.

The GSE offers access to the full spectrum of assets, equities on the main market, and the Ghana alternative market for SMEs.

President Mahama announced that the Government was committed to advancing the listing of state-owned enterprises on the stock exchange.

In attendance at the President’s LSE engagement were Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, Finance Minister; Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Foreign Affairs Minister; and Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Presidential Spokesman and Minister of State in-charge of Government Communications.

The rest are Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogtari, Special Aide to the President and Presidential Advisor; Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, Governor, Bank of Ghana, and Madam Abena Amoah, Managing Director, Ghana Stock Exchange.