By Ashiadey Dotse
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says Japanese car manufacturing companies are set to expand their operations in Ghana as part of strengthened economic and diplomatic relations between Accra and Tokyo.
According to the Minister, the planned expansion will include the opening of more branches in Ghana, following high-level engagements with Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Her Excellency Ayano Kunimitsu, who led a 35-member Japanese business delegation to the country.
Mr. Ablakwa said the discussions, which were also attended by Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, led to strategic partnerships between Japanese and Ghanaian companies, increased Japanese investment in Ghana, and better access to the Japanese market.
He noted that beyond the automobile sector, Ghana and Japan have agreed to deepen cooperation in areas such as space technology and artificial intelligence, based on a Memorandum of Understanding he signed during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Japan.
The Minister, in a Facebook post on Monday, January 19, 2025, added that talks also focused on improving value addition in Ghana’s cocoa industry and further promoting the Ghana Chocolate brand, which is already popular in Japan.
Mr. Ablakwa said Ghana and Japan will next year mark three major milestones: 70 years of bilateral relations, 100 years since the late Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’s public health work and sacrifice in Ghana, and 50 years of Japan Overseas Cooperation (JOC) Volunteers in the country.
He described the expected expansion of Japanese car manufacturing companies as a strong boost to Ghana’s industrial growth and long-standing friendship with Japan.
