President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday used the opening of the 8th Africa–Singapore Business Forum to position Ghana as a “reliable gateway” to the $3.4 trillion African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market. In his first engagement on a three-day state visit to Singapore, President Mahama called Africa “investable” and urged deeper partnerships between the two regions to navigate a more fragmented global economy.
Highlighting Africa’s potential, President Mahama noted its 1.4 billion-strong population, leadership in mobile money and fintech, and the significant progress of the AfCFTA. He emphasized that the fundamentals for investment are compelling, pointing to a nearly 50% increase in Africa–Singapore trade between 2020 and 2024. He also detailed Ghana’s specific trade relationship with Singapore, which exceeded $215 million in 2024, with cumulative investments from Singaporean companies surpassing $2 billion.
To sharpen Ghana’s competitiveness, the President touted his “24-hour economy” strategy, a national policy designed to enable businesses, farms, and ports to operate round-the-clock safely and efficiently. He outlined four integrated pillars of this strategy: Grow24, aimed at year-round farming; Make24, focused on agro-industrial parks; Show24, which promotes tourism; and Connect24, intended to improve inland transport.
President Mahama concluded by assuring investors that Ghana is a stable, reform-minded country with a pipeline of bankable projects ready for investment.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
