Gov’t Seeking to Triple AfCFTA-Certified Ghanaian Firms, Tackle $4.3 Billion Annual Export Losses
President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that his administration, through the Accelerated Export Development Programme (AEDP), is implementing an ambitious strategy to significantly boost Ghana’s export competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Delivering a national address on Wednesday, May 7, to mark his first 120 days in office, the President stated that the AEDP aims to triple the number of Ghanaian firms certified under AfCFTA’s Rules of Origin, scale up export readiness training, particularly for youth and women, and expand the country’s reach into new continental markets while deepening existing trade partnerships.
Currently, an estimated 30 Ghanaian firms are actively exporting under the AfCFTA framework, with 14 companies involved in 40 trades under the Guided Trade Initiative. In addition, the Government has facilitated market exploratory missions for 63 local firms to other African countries, further demonstrating Ghana’s readiness to capitalise on intra-African trade opportunities.
“The AfCFTA presents an unprecedented opportunity to position Ghana as a regional manufacturing and export hub,” President Mahama noted, adding that targeted reforms are essential to unlock the full potential of the country’s export sector.
Despite the promising outlook, the President acknowledged significant structural and operational challenges undermining Ghana’s trade potential. These include burdensome documentation requirements, inefficiencies at the country’s ports, and regulatory bottlenecks stemming from under-resourced state institutions.
Data from the International Trade Centre (ITC) indicates that these trade facilitation inefficiencies result in an estimated $4.3 billion in annual losses to Ghana’s economy.
The President also highlighted sector-specific issues such as contamination in fisheries exports and noted the limited representation of women and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the export value chain.
To address these challenges, President Mahama announced the establishment of the Accelerated Export Development Advisory Committee, which will serve as a central platform for coordinating export-related reforms, driving policy implementation, and ensuring alignment across agencies.
“Our bold strategy under the AEDP is to grow non-traditional export earnings by several multiples over the current $3.5 billion annually by 2028,” the President stated.
The AEDP, which forms a key pillar of the Mahama administration’s broader industrialization agenda, is expected to drive value addition, stimulate job creation, and enhance Ghana’s role in the continental trade landscape.
