President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled bold plans to triple Ghana’s non-traditional export earnings to $10 billion annually by 2030, powered by the newly formed Accelerated Export Development Committee (AEDC).
Speaking at the inauguration of the 18-member presidential committee on Monday, May 5, 2025, President Mahama emphasized the government’s strategic commitment to strengthening foreign exchange inflows and driving long-term economic growth.
“The AEDC has been established to serve as a high-level platform for strategic coordination, policy coherence, and institutional accountability in our export development efforts. Our strategy is ambitious but deliberate,” he stated.
The AEDC forms part of the broader Accelerated Export Development Programme, designed to boost non-traditional exports by shifting focus from raw materials to value-added products. The President pointed out that Ghana’s current export mix is heavily reliant on low-complexity commodities like gold, cocoa, cashew, and timber, mostly exported in raw form.
“We must change this narrative,” he asserted, highlighting the need for economic diversification through increased value addition.
To support this export transformation, the government is prioritizing major trade infrastructure upgrades. These include modernizing Ghana’s ports, revamping the Volta Lake Transport Company, operationalizing the Bankra Inland Port, and expanding the cold chain infrastructure to strengthen fisheries and horticulture exports.
President Mahama noted that exporters face some of the highest logistics costs in West Africa and endure long export clearance times, which hamper competitiveness. The planned improvements, he said, will enhance efficiency, reduce spoilage, and better connect inland producers to global markets.
