Accra: Ghana has secured a significant US$270 million investment to transform its poultry industry, marking the largest UK agrifood investment in the nation's history. This initiative, spearheaded by the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat (24H+) alongside four investment partners, aims to create 12,000 direct jobs, enhance domestic poultry production, and reduce the country's dependency on imported chicken.
According to Ghana Web, the investment partners include Agrium Capital, a UK-based agrifood investment company and subsidiary of Asset Green Ltd, Petra Trust, Axis Pension Trust, and Ghana EXIM Bank. The agreement was signed in Accra at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, combining international private capital, Ghanaian institutional capital, and development finance to establish a comprehensive poultry production platform.
The program will encompass the entire poultry value chain, covering feed production, breeding, hatchery operations, broiler production, processing, cold chain logistics, and market access. The first phase aims to produce 20,000 tonnes of dressed and processed broiler products annually, with an eventual increase to 50,000 tonnes.
Ghana currently spends around US$400 million annually on imported chicken and poultry products. This investment is expected to help retain a significant portion of that expenditure within the domestic economy, creating jobs and supporting businesses across the poultry value chain.
At the signing ceremony, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, emphasized that the investment aligns with the government's strategy of mobilizing private capital into productive sectors. Simone Mousey, Economic Counsellor and Head of the Growth Team at the British High Commission, highlighted the opportunity to strengthen UK-Ghana commercial relations, particularly in agriculture and agrifood.
Rod Bassett, CEO of Agrium Capital, expressed confidence in Ghana's poultry sector's potential to contribute to food security, local production, and value creation. Sam Mensah-Baah, Country Director for Ghana at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, described the investment as a crucial partnership to realize Ghana's economic ambitions in terms of jobs, productive capacity, and sustainable growth.
Kofi D. Fynn, Managing Director of Petra Trust, stated that the involvement of Petra Trust and Axis Pension Trust reflects the readiness of Ghana's pension sector to invest long-term capital into productive ventures.
This investment precedes the UK-Ghana Investment Summit scheduled for September 24, 2026, which is anticipated to open up further opportunities for businesses and investors from both nations. The signed Heads of Terms will now be developed into a Shareholders' Agreement for execution by the involved parties in the coming weeks.