In a statement issued on Monday, 9 February 2026, the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana said, technical analysis showed Ghana was at risk of catastrophic losses in manufacturing capacity, skilled labour and foreign direct investment if it failed to respond swiftly with competitive policy reforms.
The caution follows the launch of an aggressive investor-attraction strategy by Benin, aimed at drawing manufacturers and foreign investors from Ghana, Nigeria and across West Africa.
According to the Chamber in its latest release, Benin’s new strategy, combined with incentives already offered by Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, has intensified competition for industrial investment in the sub-region.
The statement further noted that, Ghana was already losing ground, citing the scaling down of operations by multinational firms including Unilever, Nestlé and Guinness, alongside expansion in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.
The release signed by Anthony Kofituo Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, added that, more than 12 cashew processing facilities relocated to Côte d’Ivoire between 2020 and 2024, while at least eight textile manufacturers moved to Benin to benefit from duty-free access to Nigeria’s market. An estimated 450 to 600 manufacturing engineers are said to migrate annually to competing economies.
However, the Chamber outlined a five-point emergency action plan, calling for sweeping reforms to taxation, infrastructure, energy pricing and skills development.
Key proposals include sharp reductions in corporate tax for agro-processing and manufacturing firms, full capital allowances on machinery, zero import duties on industrial inputs and tax holidays for export-oriented industries.
It also urged the establishment of five new strategic special economic zones between 2026 and 2028, covering Accra-Tema, Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi and the Volta Region, to support agro-processing, textiles, light manufacturing and export-led industries.
On energy, the Chamber called for immediate cuts in industrial electricity tariffs and increased investment in renewable power, targeting an additional 250 megawatts of industrial supply by 2028.
Further recommendations included reducing cargo dwell time at Tema Port to under a week, upgrading key road corridors linking Ghana to regional markets, and investing in technical and vocational training to address skills shortages.
The Chamber concluded that, while Ghana retained advantages such as political stability, the rule of law, an English-speaking workforce and hosting the headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area, these strengths were being undermined by uncompetitive policies.
Every week of delay means more factories lost, more jobs eliminated and more skilled professionals leaving our shores, “The time for action is now.”
