Ghana’s ability to strengthen its position in global trade will depend largely on how effectively it adds value to its natural resources and develops a stronger industrial base, international trade journalist Anna Spio has said.
According to Spio, Ghana and other African countries continue to lose significant economic opportunities by exporting commodities largely in their raw form, while countries elsewhere capture greater value through processing, manufacturing, branding and distribution.
She said the situation is particularly evident in Ghana’s gold and cocoa sectors, where the country is a major producer but does not capture the highest margins generated further along the value chain.
“Ghana’s future competitiveness will depend largely on what we choose to transform before it leaves our shores,” she noted.
Spio, who is the Executive Producer and Host of International Trade Focus, said value addition should no longer be treated as an aspiration but as a deliberate component of Ghana’s economic strategy.
She argued that processing more raw materials locally could help generate additional revenue, create employment and strengthen domestic industries.
Spio explained that Africa’s challenge is not a lack of natural resources or production capacity, but the tendency to export resources too early in the value chain.
Ghana produces significant quantities of commodities such as gold and cocoa, but much of the processing and manufacturing associated with these products takes place outside the country.
This, she said, means Ghana loses out on opportunities to benefit from activities such as refining, advanced processing, branding and manufacturing.
For local industries to move further up the value chain, however, Spio said Ghana must address structural constraints including unreliable infrastructure, expensive financing and inadequate industrial supply chains.
She noted that manufacturing requires stable electricity, efficient logistics and access to affordable long-term financing.
High lending costs can make it difficult for businesses to invest in processing facilities and expand their operations, encouraging some producers to continue exporting raw commodities instead.
Spio also identified policy implementation and consistency as critical factors in Ghana’s industrialisation drive.
She observed that Ghana has developed several trade and industrial policies and initiatives, including Free Zones, industrial parks and the One District One Factory programme.
However, she argued that the country’s challenge has often been less about developing policies and more about ensuring that existing policies are implemented consistently.
“Instead of constantly introducing new reforms, we need to focus on executing the ones that already exist,” she said.
According to her, long-term industrial development requires policy continuity and predictable systems capable of encouraging private-sector investment.
Spio further highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an important framework for expanding intra-African trade and strengthening the continent’s economic position.
She said improvements in transportation corridors, railway networks, shipping routes and border procedures would be necessary to make regional trade more efficient.
She noted that in some instances, goods moving between African countries still pass through Europe, increasing costs and making trade less efficient.
Reducing bureaucratic barriers and simplifying cross-border movement, she said, would help African businesses take greater advantage of the continental market created by AfCFTA.
For Ghana, she believes the opportunity lies in positioning the country not simply as a supplier of commodities but as a processing and manufacturing hub within Africa.
Beyond production and processing, Spio said African businesses must also strengthen how they present their products to international consumers.
She argued that competing solely on price is no longer sufficient, with consumers increasingly interested in issues such as origin, sustainability and authenticity.
Ghanaian products such as cocoa, shea butter and gold, she said, carry stories and cultural value that can be incorporated into branding and product development.
She cited the difference between exporting cocoa beans and producing finished chocolate under a Ghanaian brand as an example of how value can be retained locally through processing, packaging and branding.
She also stressed the importance of compliance, traceability and sustainability for businesses seeking to enter international markets.
As Ghana reflects on its 69th Independence Anniversary, Spio said the country must consider what economic independence means in practical terms.
She argued that innovation should extend beyond digital technology to include industrial transformation, manufacturing and the development of domestic productive capacity.
“Political independence was achieved in 1957. Economic positioning is the work of our generation,” she said.
For Ghana to become more competitive internationally, Spio believes the country must process more of its commodities, strengthen manufacturing and build industries capable of retaining a greater share of economic value domestically.
She said AfCFTA provides the framework for deeper regional integration, but disciplined implementation and stronger domestic capacity will ultimately determine how much Ghana benefits from the opportunities available.
