Ghana aims to raise manufacturing’s share of the economy to at least 15 percent of gross domestic product by 2030 as part of an industrial expansion strategy that could create up to 500,000 jobs, President John Dramani Mahama said on Thursday.
Speaking at the inauguration of a new cement plant in Tema, Mahama said boosting manufacturing was central to the government’s long-term economic transformation agenda.
“Our ambition is to increase the share of manufacturing in Ghana’s GDP to at least 15 percent by 2030,” he said.
Mahama said the expansion could generate roughly half a million additional jobs across the economy as new factories and industrial zones are developed.
The president pointed to a wave of recent factory projects as evidence that the strategy was gaining momentum.
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Over the past month alone, Mahama said he had commissioned several new manufacturing facilities and launched construction of others in sectors ranging from ceramics to glass production.
In western Ghana’s Shama district, the government recently inaugurated an expanded ceramic tile factory while launching construction of a new sanitary ware plant and a glass manufacturing facility.
The glass factory will be Ghana’s first major domestic producer since the collapse decades ago of the Aboso glass factory originally established under Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah.
“Since that factory collapsed, every piece of glass you see anywhere in this country is imported,” Mahama said.
Once operational, the new glass plant is expected to supply construction materials for Ghana’s growing housing and infrastructure sectors, while potentially exporting to neighbouring countries.
The government’s industrial push comes as Ghana expands major infrastructure projects under its “Big Push” development programme.
Mahama said more than 60 billion Ghanaian cedis (US$4.8 billion) had been committed to infrastructure investment, including about 50 billion cedis in road construction contracts.
“These roads, interchanges and drains are all being built with cement produced in Ghana,” he said.
The government hopes that expanding domestic manufacturing will reduce import dependence and strengthen supply chains for key sectors including construction and infrastructure.
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The Tema industrial area, long considered Ghana’s manufacturing hub, is also set for major upgrades.
Mahama said the government had signed agreements with private sector partners to rehabilitate the industrial zone’s roads, drainage systems and wastewater treatment facilities.
The redevelopment will involve companies and institutions including the Tema Development Corporation and Volta Aluminium Company.
Officials say the improvements are intended to modernise infrastructure and attract further industrial investment.
Mahama said maintaining a stable and predictable policy environment would be key to sustaining investor confidence.
“When the policy environment is transparent and stable, the private sector responds and mobilises capital,” he said.
The government has also sought closer engagement with industry groups to address sector challenges.
Mahama praised ongoing dialogue between authorities and the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers Ghana aimed at stabilising prices and supporting investment in the construction materials sector.
Economists say manufacturing growth could help diversify Ghana’s economy, which has historically relied heavily on exports of commodities such as gold, cocoa and oil.
For Mahama, the expansion of industry represents a continuation of Ghana’s early development vision.
“Industrialisation remains the key to unlocking Ghana’s future,” he said.
