Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyeremat has called for intensive investment in agriculture as part of major plans to strengthen the African continent economically.
He called for increased US investment in select strategic sectors such as agriculture and agribusiness, oil and gas, blue ocean economy and investment in light manufacturing industries, support for infrastructure development including roads, railroads, port infrastructure, and renewable energy.
He urged African leaders and the United States to identify key areas where the average African would feel the transformation during the global economic collapse.
He also focused on collaboration to strengthen regional and global health; promote food security; promote peace and security; Response to the climate crisis; and strengthen ties with the diaspora.
African trade ministers took the opportunity to moderate a roundtable with members of the US Congress and other senior officials, chaired by Ambassador Katherine Tai, US Trade Representative.
They also used the platform to discuss continental issues with a focus on the industrialization agenda, confirmed by the recent external shocks that threatened to shake most African economies.
Mr. Kyerematen also attended a number of high-level meetings and events alongside President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, including meetings with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Chairman of the World Bank.
He has represented the President of the Republic at the National Black Chamber of Commerce Business Forum and at the US Chamber of Commerce and Corporate Council on Africa’s Presidential Dialogue, all in Washington, DC.
Speaking on behalf of the US administration, Ambassador Tai stressed the importance of US-Africa economic relations in addressing current financial challenges and building a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive future.
AGOA
He reiterated the need for the two sides to work together to deliver on the promise of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to boost the continent’s productive capacity and pursue equitable growth for all segments of both societies.
At the center of the many topics discussed was the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is due to expire in September 2025.
The Ghanaian delegation has now returned home.
