Notwithstanding the fact that he has not tasted alcohol in over two decades, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has vouched for Ghana’s locally brewed gin as one of the high export commodities the nation can leverage in growing the economy.

The president in his inauguration address on Thursday, January 7, 2021, once again emphasized the need for Ghana to aggressively pursue self-reliance. He was hopeful that with good packaging, Ghana’s locally brewed gin ‘akpeteshie’ could be accepted worldwide.

“I doubt that anyone would, ordinarily, mention akpeteshie, the local gin, as a possible item on the world market. I cannot vouch for its taste or potency, since I gave up alcohol many years ago, but I can say that the Made in Ghana and beautifully packaged “Apio”, I have recently seen, can compete in the most sophisticated markets in the world,” he said.

Speaking on the prospects of Ghana becoming an exporter, President Akufo-Addo also mentioned Eku Fruit Juice produced by Ekumfi Fruit Juices Company Limited operating under the One District One Factory policy as having the potential to compete on the world market. The outbreak of the coronavirus he suggested thought Ghanaians lessons of producing locally and for that reason, he admonished producers of Eku Juice to put in their best and give the product a global presence.

“The arrival of COVID-19 drove home the lesson to all of us that we have to be self-reliant. The pandemic has emphasized the fact that we cannot continue to be living on edge in a day-to-day economy. This is dangerous for our survival, and it is important that we set up buffers of protection in all aspects of our lives.”

“I expect the locally produced Eku juice, one of the results of Government’s ‘One-District-One-Factory’ flagship policy, to replace rapidly the imported fruit juices on the shelves of our supermarkets, not because anyone will so decree, but because the quality of the locally produced one is as good, if not superior,” he intimated.

“My boundless confidence in the energy of the Ghanaian makes me believe that we can become the prosperous nation we aspire to, and soon. We have good reason to be proud of what we have been able to achieve so far,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo also pointed out that the Ghanaian economy was resilient enough to face the deadly coronavirus which shook many global economies and Ghana remains one of the attractive destinations on the African continent.

“Today, our economy, even the face of the global pandemic of COVID-19 continues to show resilience and a much faster rate of recovery than originally envisaged. It was indeed one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in 2020. Ghana remains one of the most attractive destinations on the continent for Direct Foreign investment, and the presence of some of the world’s largest conglomerates are attesting to this fact,” he indicated.

He further stated that establishing a strong economy will be the main preoccupation of his second term as President of Ghana.

“Establishing a strong economy, undergoing structural transformation to value-added activities, which will generate jobs for our young people and enhance their living standards, will be the main preoccupation of my second term. ”