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President Mahama leads initiative to transform Ghana into an export-driven economy
President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated an Accelerated Export Development Advisory Committee, a strategic initiative to propel Ghana towards becoming a leading export-driven economy.
The 19-member committee, chaired by the President himself, will lead the implementation of the 24-Hour Economy policy, prioritising value addition and economic diversification through strong partnerships with the private sector, particularly in agro-processing and light manufacturing.
President Mahama, an advocate for job creation and national development under his #ResettingGhana agenda, emphasised the critical role of the Committee in achieving ambitious economic goals.
“Through targeted incentives and strategic partnerships, we will scale up local production and participation in the value chain,” Mahama stated during the inauguration.
He noted that “Our 24-hour economy strategy will complement this ambition by developing focused value chains including cassava, tomato, palm oil, pharmaceuticals, textiles and garments, and industrial machinery.”
The President expressed confidence that implementing the export development strategies would lower the national unemployment rate from 14.7% to below 5% by 2034.
To facilitate efficient export operations, the government will invest heavily in modernising critical infrastructure, including upgrading and expanding ports, revitalising the Volta Lake Transport Company, developing the Mpakadan Port, operationalising the Boankra Inland Port, and expanding cold chain infrastructure to support the fisheries and horticultural sectors.
The Accelerated Export Development Programme and the National Export Development Strategy are central to achieving these goals.
“We aim to grow Ghana’s non-traditional export earnings from $3.5 billion annually to at least $10 billion by 2030,” President Mahama affirmed.
The Accelerated Export Development Advisory Committee will foster close collaboration with the private sector, development partners, academia, and regional institutions to address export barriers, identify emerging opportunities, and drive coordinated reforms.
The Committee will be supported by the 24-hour economy secretariat, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and other relevant agencies to ensure a seamless transition from strategic planning to tangible results.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE ACCELERATED EXPORT DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
1. HE John Dramani Mahama
2. Mr Goosie Tanoh
3. Hon. Dr Cassiel Ato Forson (MP)
4. Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu Agyare (MP)
5. Hon. Emelia Arthur (MP)
6. Hon. Eric Opoku (MP)
7. Hon. Dominic Ayine (MP)
8. Mr Anthony K. Sarpong
9. Professor John Gatsi
10. Brigadier General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono
11. Gerald Nrako Mensah
12. Dr Akushika Andoh
13. Dr Eben Anuwa-Amarh
14. Kwesi Korboe
15. Sampson Asaki Awingobit
16. Jacob Ainoo Ansah
17. Gabriel Opoku Asare
18. Gerald Nyarko Mensah
19. Davies Narh Korboe
The Government of the Republic of Korea has presented a second consignment of equipment to support the study, maintenance and preservation of Ghana’s historic forts and castles under the Korea-Ghana ICT Climate Project.
At the handover ceremony in Accra, today, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, expressed appreciation for Korea’s continued support, including its US$4.5 million intervention towards heritage preservation, technical assistance and capacity building.
The equipment will strengthen the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board’s efforts to address the impact of climate change on Ghana’s historic heritage infrastructure.
The Ministry noted that they remain committed to working with international partners to safeguard Ghana’s priceless heritage for present and future generations.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Association of Spouses of Heads of Diplomatic Missions and International Organizations (ASOHOM) brought art, diplomacy and philanthropy together for its glamorous black-tie charity gala, centred on the urgent theme of sustainable water futures.
At the heart of the evening was ‘Woven Currents’, a thought-provoking commissioned exhibition co-curated by Fang W. Linulf of LogonART and Fadila Njoya from Gallery Sankofa, showcasing five outstanding Ghanaian artists confronting water pollution, coastal decay, ancestral memory and ecological regeneration.
Housed within a versatile multi-function hall, far from a conventional white-cube gallery, the venue underwent a dramatic creative transformation.
Drawing on her professional architectural background, curator Fang W. Linulf reimagined the standard event space into a vivid, immersive exhibition environment through bold spatial storytelling.
Monumental art installations encircled gala guests, breaking traditional viewing boundaries and forging a remarkably intimate, visceral connection between viewers and the artworks.
Guided by a powerful curatorial vision, ‘Woven Currents’ positioned art as a call to action: to honour, safeguard and collectively steward Africa’s precious shared water heritage.
Each artwork responded directly to Ghana’s pressing aquatic realities.
Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku’s towering textile installation breathed new life into discarded local second-hand ‘Oburoni Wawu’ garments, delivering a searing commentary on waste colonialism and textile-fuelled ocean contamination.
Patrick Tagoe Turkson crafted intricate assemblages from beach-salvaged flip flops and abandoned ghost fishing nets, weaving Asafo flag and Kente cloth iconography into marine debris to unite indigenous cultural wisdom with modern-day ecological crisis.
Sena Burgundy presented introspective blue-hued figurative canvases exploring inner reflection set against shifting environmental realities.
Nana Frimpong Oduro exhibited dream-like surreal photography rooted in Akan cosmology, capturing ancestral echoes and human resilience within Ghana’s coastal waters.
Evans Torngmortey Akornor built evocative threshold-themed mixed media works from fishing shore remnants, unpacking visible and unseen layers of shoreline history.
Attendees also experienced the poignant live dance performance ‘Cry of the River’ by Vivie’s Dance.
The night featured a high-energy live auction of five signature exhibition artworks alongside a raffle draw. Every penny raised went toward vital humanitarian support for vulnerable communities across Ghana.
Diplomatic delegates, collectors, artists and cultural leaders filled the room.
The curatorial team stressed that ‘Woven Currents’ was never mere gala decoration.
It delivered grounded, locally-centred artistic narratives that enriched formal policy conversations on water conservation, repurposing a diplomatic social gathering into a dynamic public platform for ecological dialogue and meaningful giving.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
