Mahama Eyes 50% Local Cocoa Processing

President John Dramani Mahama says his administration remains committed to processing at least 50 per cent of Ghana’s cocoa, farm produce and mineral resources locally to create sustainable jobs for the youth.

The President said this when he received Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), for a high-level bilateral engagement.

In a post shared on Facebook after the meeting, President Mahama said discussions focused on deepening the strategic partnership between Ghana and the IFC to transform Ghana’s economy.

According to him, the engagement placed strong emphasis on boosting commercial agriculture production in cocoa, oil palm and poultry, in line with the government’s industrialisation drive.

“Reaffirming our commitment to industrialisation, I reiterated our firm policy to process at least 50% of our cocoa, farm produce, and mineral resources to create sustainable jobs for our youth,” he stated.

The two sides also explored opportunities under the government’s Big Push programme to overhaul infrastructure, specifically in railways, aviation and road network development, alongside critical investments in energy, digital connectivity and education.

President Mahama further disclosed that through collaboration with the World Bank, the government has secured a $300 million financing package to permanently end the double-track system in Senior High Schools by the end of 2027.

He said that despite the severe economic crisis inherited by his administration, prudent management and fiscal discipline are already yielding positive results, with a sharp decline in inflation, reduced national indebtedness and a strong resurgence of investor confidence.

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