Accra: Japan has expressed renewed investor confidence in Ghana, citing political stability, an educated workforce, and improving infrastructure as key drivers of Japanese investment. Japan, the world's fifth-largest economy, is directing investments into Ghana's electronics, automotive, and logistics sectors, with prospects for future collaboration in artificial intelligence and robotics.
According to Ghana News Agency, Japanese companies invested more than US$152 million in Ghana between 2000 and 2024, with bilateral trade expanding by 24 percent from 2020 to 2024. Yoshimoto Hiroshi, Japan's Ambassador to Ghana, and Niloy Banerjee, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative to Ghana, highlighted these developments at a capacity-building workshop in Accra on trade and investment opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The three-day workshop, themed 'Unlocking Trade and Investment Opportunities in the context of the AfCFTA,' sensitized Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to the benefits and challenges of intra-African trade. Ambassador Yoshimoto emphasized Japan's strong potential for partnership in agro-processing, light manufacturing, digital and green innovation, and SME upgrading to integrate into regional and global value chains.
He described Ghana's investment climate as increasingly attractive and called for enhanced mechanisms to unlock the full potential of the AfCFTA, noting that Ghana's leadership in financial services and regulatory frameworks positioned it to attract long-term Japanese investment. Ambassador Yoshimoto underscored Japan's philosophy of 'Kaizen'-continuous improvement in productivity, quality, and skills-as a guiding principle for collaboration.
Niloy Banerjee told the Ghana News Agency that Ghana's political stability, educated workforce, and improving infrastructure make it an attractive hub for Japanese investment in West Africa. He noted that Japan's status as a manufacturing and trading superpower reflects positively on Ghana's investment landscape.
Mr. Banerjee, however, pointed out that AfCFTA is not being leveraged fully yet and encouraged strengthened partnerships and continuous support for SMEs. Mr. Benjamin Kwaku Asiam, Acting Coordinator of Ghana's AfCFTA National Coordination Office, emphasized the importance of empowering SMEs to take advantage of the single African market.