President John Dramani Mahama has urged Japan to scale up its investment and partnership with Ghana, with a strong focus on cocoa value addition, infrastructure development, and closer bilateral cooperation.
The President made the call during a high-level meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9).
President Mahama underscored Ghana’s pivotal role as the supplier of nearly 70 percent of Japan’s cocoa imports, stressing the need for a public–private partnership with the Cocoa Processing Company to expand processing capacity locally.
He noted that deeper value addition would not only benefit Ghana but also secure Japan’s cocoa supply chain.
The President highlighted the Volivo Bridge project over the Volta Lake, which Japan has supported since 2016 with JPY 11.239 billion.
He appealed for additional Japanese funding to close the remaining 64 percent financing gap, describing the bridge as a lifeline for transporting yams, maize, and other produce from northern Ghana to markets in the south.
The two leaders also reviewed milestones ahead of 2027, including the centenary of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’s voyage to Ghana, the 60th anniversary of Ghana–Japan diplomatic relations, and the 50th anniversary of Japanese volunteer service in the country.
“I met with the Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to advance Ghana–Japan cooperation in three key areas: Cocoa and value addition, Strategic infrastructure and People-to-people ties. With Ghana supplying about 70% of Japan’s cocoa imports, we invited Japanese investment and a PPP with the Cocoa Processing Company to revamp the plant and deepen processing in Ghana.
We discussed the Volivo Bridge over the Volta Lake and expressed appreciation for Japan’s JPY 11.239 billion support (signed in 2016). I reiterated Ghana’s request for additional funding, especially grants, to close the remaining 64% procurement gap and speed delivery of this vital link for moving yams, maize and other produce from the north to markets in the south.”
President Mahama expressed appreciation for Japan’s consistent support to Ghana through TICAD, particularly in health, education, and infrastructure.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with Japan on multilateral issues, including reform of the United Nations Security Council.
Japan, for its part, expressed readiness to deepen economic ties and support Ghana in addressing infrastructure bottlenecks while calling for improved conditions for Japanese businesses operating in the country.
The two sides are expected to formalize their discussions with a memorandum of understanding, ahead of President Mahama’s address at the TICAD 9 plenary.
