Ghana’s Trade Minister Engages Moroccan Delegation On Strategic Investment Partnerships  Ghana’s Trade Minister Engages Moroccan Delegation On Strategic Investment Partnerships  

The Ghanaian Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, received a visiting delegation from the Kingdom of Morocco led by Abderrahim Cherrab, Deputy Head of Mission at the Moroccan Embassy in Ghana, to explore opportunities for enhanced trade and agribusiness collaboration between the two nations.

Welcoming the delegation, Ofosu-Adjare underscored the longstanding diplomatic and cultural relations between Ghana and Morocco, stressing the mutual benefits that can be harnessed in trade, agribusiness, and tourism. Drawing from her personal experience in Morocco, she praised the country’s hospitality and expressed optimism about deepening bilateral cooperation, especially in areas such as fertilizer manufacturing, job creation, and food production.

She outlined Ghana’s investor-friendly environment, noting incentives such as tax breaks, low transportation costs, and government-backed support systems that make the country a strategic hub for manufacturing. “The government is committed to using its purchasing power to promote locally produced goods, and we welcome Morocco’s investment in manufacturing plants that will create jobs and expand market access,” she stated.

On the topic of Agribusiness, the Minister stressed the Ministry’s focus on commercial contract farming and climate-smart agriculture to ensure consistent raw material supply to local industries. She highlighted Ghana’s litigation-free lands and irrigation potential as key attractions for investors.

Ofosu-Adjare also emphasized harmonization of trade standards between the two countries, proposing the use of Ghana as a base for Morocco’s automobile investments in West Africa, especially in the electric vehicle space. “We have a one-stop shop at the Ministry to facilitate investor entry, and we are excited about the future collaborations that lie ahead between Ghana and Morocco,” she assured.

In response, Abderrahim Cherrab expressed Morocco’s keen interest in strengthening ties with Ghana, particularly in the area of food security. He said the visit followed a recent bilateral engagement between Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and his Moroccan counterpart, and aimed to assess Ghana’s public sector governance in food systems and identify areas for cooperation.

He disclosed that the Moroccan mission comprised experts from the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, National Institutes, and Polytechnic University. Key items under discussion included the shipment of 2,000 tons of fertilizer to Ghana, the deployment of a diagnostic mission to assess Ghana’s agricultural landscape, and the potential establishment of a fertilizer production unit.

Cherrab highlighted the shared challenges between the two countries, including over-reliance on primary agriculture, low soil fertility, poor farm input usage, and post-harvest losses. He emphasized Morocco’s readiness to share best practices in food systems and soil fertility management, and to foster South-South cooperation through joint projects and knowledge exchange.

He further mentioned a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2015 between both nations, aimed at advancing bilateral regulations and cooperation. The Moroccan delegation called for a joint commercial meeting between Ghana’s Ministry of Trade and Morocco’s Ministry of Industry and Trade to facilitate next steps in collaboration.

“We are hopeful that this visit will usher in a new era of meaningful cooperation, particularly in food security, which remains vital to our shared goals for sustainable development,” he concluded.

The meeting ended on a note of mutual commitment to continued collaboration, with both parties agreeing to fast-track engagements in trade harmonization, agribusiness development, and industrial investment for shared prosperity.