Beijing: Mr Simon Madjie, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), has urged Chinese companies to partner with Ghana in transforming the country into a hub for electric vehicles (EV). This would include EV manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance across West Africa and the continent.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Madjie made the remarks during a presentation to Chinese business leaders, policymakers, and investors at the Presidential Investment Forum in Beijing, held on the margins of President John Dramani Mahama's State visit to the People's Republic of China. The event was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry (MOTAI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), and the China-Africa Business Council. The forum aimed to deepen economic cooperation between Ghana and China and was part of Ghana's broader agenda to attract high-impact investments in manufacturing, energy, and technology.
Mr Madjie stated that Ghana aims to achieve approximately 70 per cent EV adoption by 2045 and establish 1,000 charging stations by 2028. He noted that as of August 2025, only seven public charging stations have been installed, inviting Chinese investors to seize this emerging market opportunity.
The CEO highlighted Ghana's strategic location as a gateway to West Africa, its robust investment incentives, and tailored policies that support EV assembly, battery production, and component manufacturing. He emphasised the country's abundant renewable energy resources, skilled workforce, and proximity to key mineral deposits essential for EV supply chains.
Mr Madjie underscored the transformative potential of China's zero-tariff policy on Ghanaian exports, describing it as a launchpad for industrial expansion and global market access. This policy allows goods of Ghanaian origin to enter the Chinese market duty-free, offering seamless access to one of the world's largest consumer markets for Chinese investors manufacturing in Ghana.
Mr Madjie showcased Ghana's industrial parks and special economic zones, including the Dawa Industrial Zone and Appolonia City, as prime locations for EV assembly plants, battery production, and other strategic industries. He highlighted Ghana's progressive automotive policy, which offers incentives for local value addition, technology transfer, and sustainable innovation.
He also noted that under Ghana's free zones regime, many Chinese companies have established operations in key sectors, including oil and gas, iron and steel, ceramics, plastics, paper, and construction, to produce and export to global markets. Mr Madjie highlighted KEDA and Sunda International as leading Chinese export-oriented companies in Ghana, leveraging the AfCFTA and ECOWAS trade protocols. These companies, with a combined global investment exceeding US$2 billion, operate in 13 countries and maintain factories across three regions in Ghana, creating over 10,000 direct jobs and more than 30,000 indirect jobs.
This presentation in Beijing builds on GIPC's earlier high-level engagements in Japan and Singapore, aimed at promoting Ghana's Reset Agenda. Emphasis was placed on the Volta Economic Corridor under the 24-Hour Economic and Accelerated Development Programme, as well as the Big Push Agenda and its related investment opportunities.