Ghana must urgently pivot from raw commodity exports to a manufacturing-led development model if it is to achieve lasting economic resilience, the Chief of Staff, Hon. Julius Debrah, declared Friday at the opening of the 2026 Kwahu Business Forum.
Speaking before a packed audience of policymakers, business leaders, and industry experts at the newly inaugurated Convention Centre at Mpreaso Hills, Hon. Debrah issued a clarion call for the nation to strengthen its productive capacity by prioritizing local manufacturing.
“True economic resilience lies in our ability to produce what we consume, process our agricultural resources, and add value to our mineral wealth,” he said.
The Chief of Staff argued that Ghana must move decisively beyond the export of raw materials and instead build competitive local industries capable of thriving both at home and in global markets. His address framed industrialization as a vision driven by innovation, value addition, and national self-reliance.
The forum, which runs as a major platform for advancing Ghana’s economic transformation agenda, is also expected to feature an address by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic. His presence underscores the administration’s high-level commitment to the manufacturing push.
Additionally, the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, will outline key investment opportunities and policy directions in trade and agribusiness. The event will also include panel discussions and exhibition tours designed to translate vision into actionable business strategies.
Organizers describe the 2026 Kwahu Business Forum as a defining moment in shaping national conversations around industrial growth, signaling a renewed and urgent commitment to placing manufacturing at the very core of Ghana’s economic future.
