Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has highlighted significant progress in Ghana–Japan diplomatic and economic relations following a series of high-level engagements with Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Her Excellency Ayano Kunimitsu, who led a 35-member Japanese business delegation to Ghana.
The visit, described by the Minister as “substantive and mutually beneficial,” underscores Japan’s growing interest in deepening trade, investment and technological cooperation with Ghana as a strategic partner in West Africa.
The Japanese delegation was formally received by Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang alongside the Foreign Affairs Minister, with discussions focusing on strengthening private sector partnerships, expanding Japanese investment flows, and improving Ghanaian access to the Japanese market. Mr. Ablakwa disclosed that the engagements have resulted in concrete commitments, including strategic partnerships between Japanese firms and Ghanaian companies, as well as agreements aimed at scaling up Japanese investments across key sectors of Ghana’s economy.
As part of the outcomes, Japanese automobile manufacturing companies are expected to expand their operations in Ghana through the establishment of additional branches, reinforcing Ghana’s position as a regional manufacturing and assembly hub.
The discussions also advanced cooperation in emerging and high-impact sectors such as space technology and artificial intelligence, building on a Memorandum of Understanding signed during Mr. Ablakwa’s participation in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Japan.
The Foreign Affairs Minister further revealed that talks placed strong emphasis on value addition within Ghana’s cocoa sector, particularly efforts to strengthen and upscale the historically renowned Ghana Chocolate brand on the Japanese market. He noted that enhancing processing and branding remains central to Ghana’s industrialisation and export diversification agenda.
The delegation had earlier diplomatic engagements with Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC)-hosted business forum involving a 54-member Japanese delegation, which followed President John Dramani Mahama’s official visit to Japan in August 2025.
The forum, organised in collaboration with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), brought together senior government officials and private sector leaders from both countries.
During the forum, Japanese companies explored investment opportunities in manufacturing, technology and infrastructure, aligned with Japan’s broader strategy to expand private sector investment across Africa. GIPC Chief Executive Officer, Simon Madjie, announced 26 foreign direct investment projects valued at US$152.1 million, highlighting opportunities in energy, petroleum infrastructure, gas systems and export-oriented industries.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that Ghana and Japan will next year commemorate three major milestones, 70 years of bilateral diplomatic relations, 100 years since Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’s historic public health and yellow fever work in Ghana, and 50 years of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening its long-standing partnership with Japan, describing the relationship as “excellent, forward-looking and deeply valued.”
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