By Adnan Adams Mohammed
The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has dismissed the widely held narrative that foreign nationals dominate 70% of Ghana’s retail market, describing such claims as “misleading” and disconnected from reality.
Addressing the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House on Wednesday last week, the Minister argued that the primary challenge in regulating the retail sector is not the presence of foreigners, but the active role Ghanaians play in “fronting” for them.
The Fronting Dilemma
Under Ghanaian law, certain retail spaces are reserved exclusively for citizens. However, Madam Ofosu-Adjare pointed out that identifying and removing illegal foreign traders has become nearly impossible because they operate behind a “local mask.”
“If you enter the shop, you will see a Ghanaian sitting there,” she explained. “Even if you proceed to the Registrar-General’s Authority, the name of that shop is Ghanaian. So long as we front for them and register for them, there is nothing anybody can do.”
The Minister emphasized that the 70% dominance figure often cited by trade unions lacks a scientific basis. “I don’t need rocket science; I only need to go to the market to see how many shops are being manned by foreigners,” she noted, urging the public to stop enabling the bypass of local laws.
27,000 Jobs: Government to Support Three New Garment Factories
In a major boost for the country’s industrialization agenda, Madam Ofosu-Adjare announced that the government will partner with the private sector to establish three large-scale garment factories in the Central, Bono East, and Eastern Regions.
The project is expected to create 27,000 direct jobs, specifically targeting the youth and those without formal educational qualifications.
Why Garments?
The Minister highlighted the garment industry as a “rapid response” sector for unemployment due to its unique training model:
Minimal Entry Barriers: Jobs are available to university graduates and those who have never attended school.
Fast-Track Training: Due to the division of labor, workers can be trained for specific roles—such as making collars—in just four weeks.
Inclusive Employment: “For those who have been complaining that we ask for certificates for jobs, the garment industry has come to give you a decent job without a certificate,” she stated.
A Busy 2026 for Agribusiness
Beyond textiles, the Minister outlined an aggressive expansion of Ghana’s industrial base for 2026, including:
Seven Agro-Processing Plants: Full operationalization of plants for yam, fish, poultry, cashew, rice, and palm kernel oil across seven regions.
Cashew Processing: Two new plants in the Bono and Bono East regions to reduce transportation costs and add value to raw exports.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Assembly: Confirmed MOUs with China’s Shenzhen New Jekyll and ongoing talks with Chery International to establish EV assembly plants in Ghana.
“2026 is a busy year for agribusiness and industry,” Ofosu-Adjare concluded. “We host the AfCFTA, and as we improve what we do here, we will take advantage of a 1.5 billion-person market.”
