President John Dramani Mahama has received the Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Makhtar Diop, for a high-level bilateral engagement aimed at deepening cooperation to support Ghana’s economic transformation.
The meeting focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between Ghana and the IFC, particularly in commercial agriculture, industrialisation, infrastructure and job creation.
In a Facebook post, President Mahama said discussions placed strong emphasis on increasing commercial production in cocoa, oil palm and poultry.
He said government remained committed to adding value to Ghana’s raw materials, reiterating its policy to process at least 50% of the country’s cocoa, farm produce and mineral resources locally.
“Reaffirming our commitment to industrialisation, I reiterated our firm policy to process at least 50% of our cocoa, farm produce, and mineral resources to create sustainable jobs for our youth.”
President Mahama said the policy forms part of efforts to expand local industrial capacity while creating sustainable employment opportunities for young Ghanaians.
The President and the IFC Managing Director also explored investment opportunities under the government’s Big Push programme, particularly in railways, aviation and road infrastructure.
“We also explored opportunities under The Big Push programme to overhaul our infrastructure, specifically in railways, aviation, and road network development.”
He said these infrastructure investments would be complemented by critical interventions in energy, digital connectivity and education.
On the education front, President Mahama disclosed that Ghana had secured a $300 million financing package from the World Bank to support efforts to permanently end the double-track system in Senior High Schools by the end of 2027. MyJoyOnline has separately reported that the facility is being used to expand infrastructure and support the construction of new senior high schools.
“Through our collaboration with the World Bank, we have secured a $300 million financing package to permanently end the double-track system in Senior High Schools by the end of 2027.”
The President further used the engagement to highlight what he described as improvements in Ghana’s economic performance since his administration took office.
“Despite the severe economic crisis we inherited, our commitment to prudent management and fiscal discipline is already yielding positive results. We are seeing a sharp decline in inflation, reduced national indebtedness, and a strong resurgence of investor confidence.”
The engagement comes during Mr Diop’s visit to Ghana from September 15 to 17, 2026, which is focused on mobilising private capital and supporting Ghana’s development priorities.
The IFC has also disclosed plans for a potential $1.2 billion investment pipeline in Ghana across key sectors, following discussions between Mr Diop and Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
