Trade between Ghana and the United Kingdom has crossed £1.6 billion, but both countries are looking to get more economic value from the relationship by attracting investment, expanding exports and creating jobs.
His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, Alastair Long, said the existing trade flows provide a strong foundation for Ghana and the UK to deepen their commercial ties, particularly in sectors where businesses can create jobs and build new markets.
Speaking at the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) Trade and Investment Summit 2026, he said the focus should be on increasing the movement of goods, services and capital between the two countries.
He pointed to Ghanaian agricultural products such as mangoes and bananas already entering the UK market as evidence of the opportunities available to businesses on both sides.
But he said the relationship should extend beyond traditional trade to include technology, services, agriculture and investment.
“What matters is what sits behind those numbers,” Long said, stressing that the real measure of stronger trade relations should be the businesses, investments, jobs and livelihoods created.
Ghana pitches stronger investment case
Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Sampson Ahi, said Ghana’s recent economic performance provides a stronger basis for attracting British investors.
Speaking on behalf of Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, he said the economy grew by 6 per cent in 2025 and expanded by 6.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
“These numbers tell every investor in this room that Ghana is predictable, Ghana is stable, and Ghana is ready,” he said.
The UK is already a significant source of investment for Ghana, with UK foreign direct investment reaching £1.8 billion and supporting more than 670 projects and 44,000 jobs, according to Ahi.
He said the recently signed UK-Ghana Growth Partnership for 2026-2028 should now be used to move the relationship from agreements to actual investment and industrial growth.
Manufacturing, logistics, agro-processing, healthcare and the digital economy were identified as areas with scope for greater UK participation.
Ahi also pointed to Ghana’s position in West Africa and its access to the wider continental market through the African Continental Free Trade Area as an advantage for UK businesses seeking to expand into Africa.
He urged British investors to bring capital, technology and higher standards while taking advantage of Ghana’s policy environment and growing pool of skilled workers.
High Commissioner calls for more value addition
Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK and Republic of Ireland, Sabah Zita Benson, said the next phase of the relationship should focus less on the volume of trade and more on what Ghana and the UK can build together.
She called for greater investment in industrialisation, value addition, technology transfer, skills development and job creation.
Benson said the UKGCC’s 10 years of work had created a platform that could now be used to deepen business-to-business relationships between the two countries.
She also highlighted Ghana’s role as a regional business hub and host of the AfCFTA Secretariat as an opportunity for UK companies seeking access to other African markets.
She called for stronger support for small and medium-sized enterprises and encouraged Ghanaians living in the UK to use their skills, networks and investment capacity to support businesses in Ghana.
The next decade, she said, should be measured not only by the value of trade but also by the businesses created, jobs generated, skills developed and technology transferred.
UKGCC wants Ghanaian businesses to go global
UKGCC Executive Director Adjoba Kyiamah said the Chamber wants the growing relationship to create opportunities for businesses in both countries, particularly Ghanaian companies seeking to expand beyond the domestic market.
The three-day Trade and Investment Summit, now in its second year, is intended to connect the UK-Ghana Growth Partnership with private-sector investment opportunities.
Kyiamah said Ghanaian companies should see the UK not only as an export market but also as a gateway to international capital, expertise, markets and business networks.
“The UK-Ghana trade partnership works both ways,” she said, adding that the Chamber wants more Ghanaian businesses to use the UK to access capital, expertise and global networks as they scale beyond Ghana.
She said the UKGCC would continue to support businesses seeking to make that transition and build companies capable of competing internationally.
