Open for Business or Open to Exploitation? President’s Growth Vision Sparks Unease

The President’s bold statement that “Ghana is open for business” has sparked both praise and concern, as his ambitious drive for agricultural modernization and export-led growth is viewed by some as a mixed blessing. While the initiative promises foreign investment and job creation, critics argue it risks prioritizing multinational profits over local farmers’ welfare and food sovereignty. Concerns are growing that without safeguards, the plan could pave the way for land grabs, unfair trade deals, and environmental degradation. As Ghana courts global capital, many are asking: will this strategy empower the people or sell them short in the name of development?

President John Dramani Mahama has outlined an ambitious vision to drive Ghana’s economic transformation through agriculture, positioning the country as a global leader in horticulture and agribusiness exports. Speaking at the grand opening of the Ghana Horticultural Expo 2025, the President delivered a compelling message of partnership, innovation, and productivity.

Framing agriculture as the cornerstone of national development, Mahama called for a unified push from all sectors public, private, and financial to reimagine and reinvigorate Ghana’s agricultural economy.

“Today, I’m not just addressing you as donors but as partners in progress. We need real capital to fuel innovation and expansion,” President Mahama told an audience of investors, farmers, development agencies, and entrepreneurs, calling on Ghana Exim Bank and other financial institutions to “be bold” in funding agribusiness startups and export-driven ventures.

With a strategic focus on processing and logistics infrastructure, Mahama re-echoed Ghana’s vision  of moving beyond rhetoric and taking concrete steps to scale up its agricultural value chain.

“Let us move from conferences to cold chains. Let us move from wares to warehouses. And let us move from policies to productivity,” he declared, urging the private sector to align investment priorities with national agricultural goals.

The President’s vision centers on transforming Ghana into a green, export-ready economy that leverages its comparative advantage in tropical produce, such as pineapples, mangoes, vegetables, and herbs.

Empowering Youth and Women

Mahama made a passionate appeal to Ghana’s youth and women to embrace agriculture not as a last resort, but as a path to prosperity.

“Own it, live it, and thrive in it,” he said, positioning agribusiness as a modern, dynamic, and rewarding career. Recognizing their vital role, he referred to farmers as “the backbone of this renewal” and called the youth “the heartbeat of our ambition.”

From Nkrumah’s Vision to a New Economic Doctrine

Quoting Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah “Seek ye first the political kingdom” Mahama offered a contemporary counterpart: “Today I say to our exporters and to our nation, seek ye first the productive economy. Let us grow Ghana one fruit, one field, and one future at a time.”

In his closing remarks, President Mahama declared, “To the world, Ghana is open for business, green, export-ready, and growing with purpose.”

The opening of the Ghana Horticultural Expo 2025 marks more than a showcase of produce it signals the beginning of a bold, export-led agricultural era. With an inclusive approach and a call to action, Mahama’s address has set the tone for a future where agriculture powers Ghana’s path to prosperity.

Source: Accra Business News