President Mahama Declares Africa “Investable” at the Africa-Singapore Business Forum
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has made a convincing case for African investment opportunities during his keynote address at opening of the 8th Africa-Singapore Business Forum, positioning Ghana as the continent’s premier gateway for international investors.
“I speak today as an African leader and as president of Ghana, and our message is simple: Africa is investable, and Ghana is your reliable gateway to that continent,” President Mahama declared to an audience of entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers.
The President emphasized Ghana’s strategic positioning, noting, “When I see the gateway, it really is, you know, if you look at the map of Africa, Ghana is like a little door, you know, on that map. And aside from that, Ghana is the center of the world because it’s a country where the meridian and the equator intersect.”
*Africa’s Economic Promise*
President Mahama painted a picture of a continent ripe with opportunity, describing Africa as “the world’s most dynamic emerging market today.” He highlighted the continent’s demographic advantages: “We are 1.4 billion people, young, fast urbanizing, digitally connected, rapidly growing middle class and Africa’s cities will host more than 700 million consumers by 2030.”
The African Continental Free Trade Area, he noted, “is the largest new free trade area in the world by number of countries, and this creates a $3.4 trillion market and lowered barriers across supply chains on the continent.”
*Ghana’s Investment Appeal*
Positioning Ghana as the ideal entry point, President Mahama emphasized the country’s stability and business-friendly environment. “Through ECOWAS, we connect you to more than 400 million consumers in West Africa. We offer political stability, a rules-based environment, a double taxation agreement with Singapore, which has been enforced since 2019.”
The President announced significant regulatory reforms to attract investment: “We’re reviewing our investment promotion acts, including the removal of minimum capital thresholds to foreign investors to make it easier for investors to sign up.”
*24-Hour Economy Vision*
Central to Ghana’s investment pitch is the “24-hour economy” concept. “Ghana is open for business 24 hours a day,” President Mahama stated. “We’re aligning infrastructure incentives and skills so factories, farms, ports and Service Centers can operate round the clock, shift safely and competitively.”
The ambitious Volta Economic Corridor project was highlighted as a key development initiative, featuring “irrigating more than 2 million hectares for year round farming” and “agri industrial parks for textiles, pharmaceuticals and food processing.”
*Call for Partnership*
President Mahama concluded with a direct appeal to Singapore’s business community: “Our position is straightforward: a stable, reform minded country connected to the African continental free trade area, a 24 hour economy that matches your needs for speed, reliability and standards, a pipeline of investable projects in agribusiness, logistics, manufacturing, energy, digitalization and tourism.”
The President extended a special invitation to investors: “Join us, bring your teams, put Ghana’s readiness to the test. We’ll showcase bankable projects, provide direct access to our regulators outline incentives for strategic investors and offer a one stop investor concierge so decisions can be made quickly and confidently.”
With Africa-Singapore trade having grown by 50% between 2020 and 2024 to nearly $14 billion, President Mahama’s message resonates at a time when global investors are seeking new opportunities in emerging markets.
