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Taste Spain Accra Returns: 8th edition showcases Spanish food & wine to Ghana market
Following the last edition held in 2022, the event returned as one of the leading professional platforms in Ghana dedicated to Spanish food and beverage products.
Organised with the support of ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade — Taste Spain Accra has been promoting Spanish gastronomy and strengthening commercial relations between Spain and Ghana for more than a decade.
This year’s edition brought together 8 Spanish companies travelling to Ghana to showcase a carefully selected range of Spanish food and beverage products and explore new business opportunities in the market.
In addition, 3 Ghanaian importers and distributors already working with Spanish brands participated in the event, presenting products currently available in Ghana.
While Spanish wines once again played an important role in the exhibition with Spain currently ranking as the third largest exporter of wine to Ghana this year’s edition also expanded to include a broader selection of Spanish food products and beverages, including sparkling wines, juices and gourmet specialities representative of Spain’s rich gastronomic tradition.
The event served as a meeting point for importers, distributors, retailers, hotels, restaurants, catering companies and other specialised professionals interested in discovering new Spanish products and strengthening commercial partnerships with Spanish producers.
Alongside the commercial exhibition, Taste Spain Accra 2026 featured tastings and networking activities designed to enhance the experience of attendees while reinforcing connections between Spanish producers and the Ghanaian market.
The event took place simultaneously with parallel editions organised the same week in Nairobi and Abidjan, reflecting the increasing interest of Spanish companies in exploring opportunities across emerging African markets.
Mr. Yann Emonet Ripoll, Head of the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Accra, highlighted not only the international importance of the Spanish wine sector, but also the growing recognition of Spanish gastronomy worldwide and the increasing interest in Spanish products within the Ghanaian market.
He also underlined the strong commercial relationship between Spain and Ghana, which has experienced significant growth in recent years.
Ghana currently maintains a trade balance with Spain, with exports exceeding €273 million, while Spanish exports reached €267 million in 2025, representing a 26% increase compared to the previous year.
The agri-food sector has been one of the fastest-growing areas of Spanish exports to Ghana, with exports increasing from €23.5 million in 2024 to €50.2 million in 2025.
The sector accounted for nearly 20% of total Spanish exports to Ghana last year, reflecting the growing demand for Spanish products among Ghanaian importers and consumers.
“We are very pleased to have brought Taste Spain Accra back to Ghana after the last edition in 2022. Over the years, the event has become an important platform for connecting Spanish producers with Ghanaian professionals and strengthening commercial ties between both markets.
While wine remains one of Spain’s flagship products internationally, we were especially excited to expand this year’s edition to include Spanish food products and beverages, offering a broader showcase of Spain’s gastronomic excellence,” he stated.
The Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of Spain in Accra remains committed to promoting quality business matchmaking and commercial opportunities between Spain and Ghana through initiatives such as Taste Spain Accra, which continues to position itself as the leading platform in Ghana dedicated to Spanish food and beverage products.
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced the commencement of enforcement of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523), warning institutions that fail to comply with the new requirements of possible fines of up to 2,000 penalty units.
The Authority says it will deploy a Biometric Verification Implementation Task Force to inspect institutions and ensure they comply with the regulations, following the expiration of a three-month grace period granted to businesses and public institutions.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026, the NIA’s Corporate Affairs representative, William Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, said the Authority had completed its public education and stakeholder engagement activities and was now moving into the enforcement and compliance monitoring phase.
He explained that the regulations require institutions that verify the identities of customers or applicants as part of their operations to use the NIA’s approved biometric verification platform instead of relying solely on visual inspection of the Ghana Card.
Under the new rules, institutions are prohibited from photocopying, scanning or keeping copies of the Ghana Card for identity verification purposes.
Mr Darlas stressed that simply collecting a customer’s Ghana Card, looking at the photograph and comparing it with the person presenting it would no longer be accepted as a valid method of identity verification.
He, however, clarified that the Ghana Card remains the country’s official national identity document and that citizens are not required to register for a new card or capture their biometrics again under the new regulations.
He said the new system is intended to reduce identity fraud, impersonation and other crimes by ensuring that the person presenting the Ghana Card is the actual owner.
According to him, the biometric verification process will rely on information already captured during Ghana Card registration, including fingerprints, iris details and facial features stored in the card’s chip.
Mr Darlas warned institutions against using third-party companies or individuals to access the NIA’s identity verification platform, insisting that the Authority does not work with intermediaries.
He said institutions seeking access to the National Identity Register must deal directly with the NIA and complete its official onboarding process.
The process requires institutions to prove that they are legally registered companies in Ghana, obtain certification from the Data Protection Commission and work with the NIA’s technical team to establish the necessary connection to its platform.
He further cautioned institutions already connected to the platform against subletting their access to other businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
He disclosed that the Authority had received reports of some institutions providing their verification services to other businesses without the NIA’s approval and warned that those involved would face legal action.
Mr Darlas said organisations that fail to comply with L.I. 2523 could face fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 penalty units, depending on the nature of the offence.
He explained that the NIA does not have the authority to impose the fines directly but would take offenders to court for the appropriate punishment.
He indicated that Institutions found guilty could also face additional administrative measures, including being barred from accessing the NIA’s verification platform in the future.
The NIA representative further clarified that the new regulations do not prohibit all institutions from physically using the Ghana Card during transactions.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited, Nana Kwesi Boatey, has revealed how he transformed a major overstaffing challenge into a success story through the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, November 2, Mr. Boatey disclosed that when he assumed office in February 2025, and inherited a bloated workforce of 250 employees doing work that could be efficiently handled by 150 people, a situation that created serious liquidity challenges for the state-owned company.
Instead of resorting to downsizing, he adopted an innovative approach by instituting a 24-hour operational system.
Under the new system, staff were redistributed across three shifts: 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m.
This not only ensured optimal use of labour but also maximized machine utilization and improved overall output.
According to him, the single move redefined the productivity culture within the company, reinforcing discipline, accountability, and efficiency.
The Ghana Publishing Company’s turnaround is being cited as a practical example of how the 24-Hour Economy policy can drive growth without job losses.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
