Hon. Sampson Ahi (middle) seated at the TABEF
Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Sampson Ahi, has called for a transformative shift in Türkey Africa relations, urging leaders at the 5th Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum (TABEF) to move beyond traditional trade models and embrace deeper economic integration through co-investment, technology transfer, and systemic alignment.
Addressing the Ministerial Meeting held under the theme “Navigating Global Economic Uncertainty: Strengthening Türkiye-Africa Partnerships”, Hon. Ahi emphasized the urgency of bolstering strategic alliances in the face of global disruptions including volatile capital flows, supply chain instability, and rising geopolitical tensions.
He described the Türkiye-Africa partnership as a “shared vessel” for navigating economic turbulence and creating a resilient future, stressing the importance of long-term collaboration built on trust and mutual respect.
Highlighting Africa’s potential, the Deputy Minister pointed to the continent’s youthful population and the transformative promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose Secretariat is hosted in Accra, Ghana. He outlined several flagship programmes being implemented by his Ministry to promote regional integration and industrialization. These include the Accelerated Export Development Programme, Feed the Industry Programme, the Made-in-Ghana Promotion Campaign, the Rapid Industrialization for Jobs Programme, and targeted initiatives for women in trade and agribusiness.
Hon. Ahi underscored agribusiness as central to Ghana’s economic transformation, with efforts focused on enhancing productivity, supporting SMEs, strengthening value chains, and fostering inclusive participation by women and youth.
Turning to Türkiye’s growing footprint in Africa, the Deputy Minister noted the country’s evolution from a trading partner to a strategic investor over the past decade. He cited Turkish investments in Ghana’s infrastructure, healthcare, and industrial sectors, with bilateral trade reaching $888 million in 2023. Projections suggest this could surpass $900 million by 2025, with both nations aiming for a $1 billion milestone by 2027.
The Deputy Minister stressed that while current trade is largely driven by Ghanaian exports of gold and cocoa and Turkish manufactured goods, there is a need to transition from commodity-based trade to joint value creation. He called for increased cooperation in sectors such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, renewable energy, modern agri-food systems, and digital infrastructure.
For this evolution to succeed, he advocated for systemic collaboration through aligned policies, harmonized regulations, and the development of de-risking financial instruments to attract long-term capital. Hon. Ahi also urged enhanced government-private sector cooperation to unlock the full potential of Türkiye-Africa economic ties.
Describing the two regions as natural partners—with Türkiye bridging Europe, Asia and Africa emerging as a global growth frontier—he proposed that the partnership become a new pillar of South-South cooperation.
He said “Let us therefore advocate for a partnership that is bold in its ambition, balanced in its execution, and transformational in its outcomes. We need to keep the momentum of charting pathways for transforming from goodwill to concrete action and from dialogue to delivery.”
Concluding his address, the Deputy Minister affirmed Ghana’s readiness to deepen its engagement with Türkiye. He called for concrete actions to follow from the forum, transforming goodwill into tangible outcomes and shared prosperity.
