Keypoints:
- Ghana and the UK signed a new Growth Partnership in London
- UK-backed investors announced a £101m Takoradi shipyard project
- Mahama said inflation has fallen to 3.4 percent as Ghana’s economy stabilises
GHANA and the United Kingdom have signed a new Growth Partnership aimed at expanding trade, investment and infrastructure cooperation, while British-backed investors announced a £101m ship repair and dry-docking facility at Takoradi Port aimed at strengthening Ghana’s role as a regional maritime hub.
The agreement and accompanying investment commitments signal a renewed effort by Accra and London to deepen economic cooperation through infrastructure, industrialisation and export-led growth, while positioning Ghana as a gateway for British investment into West Africa.
The UK-Ghana Growth Partnership was formally signed on June 1, 2026, by Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Saba Zita Okaikoi Benson, and the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Dr Christian Rogg, during the Ghana-UK Investment Summit in London. President John Dramani Mahama and UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy witnessed the signing.
Lammy hails shared ambition
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Lammy described the agreement as a reflection of the enduring relationship between the two countries.
‘The signing of this partnership is a statement of our shared purpose,’ he said.
‘It’s a declaration that our countries are bound by our history, connected by our people, united in our ambition, and that we’re choosing to build a stronger future together.’
Lammy said the partnership would help create new opportunities for growth and prosperity while building on longstanding diplomatic, commercial and people-to-people ties.
The agreement comes as Ghana seeks to attract new investment into strategic sectors including infrastructure, manufacturing, technology, renewable energy, agribusiness and financial services.
According to figures cited by officials at the summit, bilateral trade between Ghana and the UK now exceeds £1.5bn annually, with both governments seeking to expand investment flows into infrastructure, manufacturing and technology.
UK backs Takoradi maritime hub
Dr Rogg announced that the UK-backed Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) would make its largest investment in Ghana to date through the Takoradi shipyard project.
The £101m investment will fund the development of a ship repair and dry-docking facility at Takoradi Port.
The project is expected to create up to 430 jobs, with women accounting for around 30 percent of employment opportunities generated by the facility.
Takoradi Port serves as a key gateway for Ghana’s offshore oil and gas industry and is strategically positioned to support maritime trade across West Africa. The new facility is expected to reduce reliance on overseas shipyards, support Ghana’s energy sector and strengthen maritime services in the region.
‘What matters is how we connect capital to the right opportunities,’ Rogg told delegates.
He said the new partnership was designed to connect Ghana’s investment pipeline with UK and international capital and accelerate projects towards financial closure.
Rogg also announced a Green Project Preparation Facility in partnership with the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund aimed at transforming climate-focused concepts into bankable projects.
The initiative is expected to unlock up to £180m in infrastructure transactions involving UK firms over the next three years.
Mahama highlights economic turnaround
Addressing investors earlier at the summit, President Mahama presented Ghana’s economic recovery as evidence that the country was ready for a new phase of investment-led growth.
He said inflation had fallen from 23.8 percent in December 2024 to 3.4 percent in April 2026, while international reserves had increased from approximately $8.9bn to nearly $13.9bn.
Mahama said the government’s reforms had helped restore stability after a period of severe economic turbulence, creating a more predictable environment for businesses and investors.
‘Most importantly, business confidence is returning,’ he said.
The president highlighted the government’s 24-Hour Economy Initiative, agricultural modernisation programme, infrastructure expansion and digital transformation agenda as key pillars of future growth.
He said Ghana was positioning itself as a productive, export-oriented and technology-driven economy capable of delivering competitive returns for investors.
Mahama also welcomed the Takoradi investment, noting that much of Ghana’s industrial development had historically been concentrated in the eastern part of the country.
‘A lot of our investment in terms of industry has gone towards the east. It’s time to move westwards and that shipbuilding industry would be a jewel in the west,’ he said.
Mahama urges investors to act
Mahama said Ghana’s combination of political stability, improving economic fundamentals and access to regional markets made it an attractive destination for international capital.
With access to the ECOWAS market of more than 425 million people and the African Continental Free Trade Area’s 1.4 billion consumers, he argued that Ghana was well positioned to serve as a gateway to Africa.
‘This is the time to move from conversations to commitments. This is the time to invest in Ghana,’ he said.
