President John Dramani Mahama has announced a national target to raise Ghana’s manufacturing sector contribution to at least 15 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030, supported by the creation of 500,000 quality industrial jobs.
He made the announcement during the Presidential Dialogue with the Private Sector held at the Jubilee House on Monday, February 23.
While acknowledging emerging signs of economic stabilisation, President Mahama cautioned that stability alone does not equate to transformation. He stressed that long-term, sustainable growth will depend on deliberate structural reforms anchored on a dynamic and competitive private sector.
“No government can achieve meaningful economic progress without a strong partnership with the private sector, which is the engine of sustainable growth, employment generation, and innovation,” he noted.
The President highlighted that for more than five decades, Ghana’s manufacturing sector has consistently contributed about 10 percent to GDP — a figure he considers insufficient to drive large-scale industrialisation and job creation.
“Emerging Asian economies, starting from a similar basis, have achieved a manufacturing share of 20 to 30 percent of GDP, thereby creating mass employment and export competitiveness. We need to change our trajectory.
“I therefore set a national target: manufacturing must contribute at least 15 percent of GDP by 2030, supported by 500,000 new quality industrial jobs. This will require structural reform, not incremental adjustments,” he said.
The 15 percent benchmark is part of the government’s broader agenda to reposition the economy toward industrial expansion, value addition, and sustainable employment creation, with a renewed focus on private sector-led growth.
