Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has announced an aggressive new strategy to raise $200 million from the capital markets to complete stalled industrial projects across the country, during the recent Government Accountability Series.
Speaking at the event, the Minister confirmed that the Ghana EXIM Bank is moving beyond traditional lending to protect massive taxpayer investments that have been left partially executed, by adjusting its traditional model.
Identifying access to long-term, competitive finance as the “biggest bane,” of the industrial sector, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare announced that her administration is enforcing a stringent credit creation policy with the Ghana EXIM Bank, designed to ensure that every dollar disbursed translates into measurable import substitution and sustainable jobs for the Ghanaian youth.
“This is not money for free. This is money to help your business, to help the economy, and to help the macroeconomics of the country. We must satisfy the requirements; you must show the ability to repay the loan. This is not money for the boys or money for the girls”
Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry
The Minister noted that 2025 alone, the Ghana EXIM Bank disbursed $304 million to businesses, but only after they satisfied rigorous requirements proving their ability to repay and contribute to the macroeconomic stability of the nation. This disciplined approach was paired with a ruthless recovery effort on legacy loans.
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare revealed that the bank has already recovered $107 million from previously unpaid debts, with several cases now referred to security agencies for criminal investigation. She also revealed that a major driver behind the $200 million capital market play is the need to save projects that were abandoned mid-stream in the last couple of years.
The Minister pointed out a historical flaw where the EXIM Bank would disburse only half of an agreed investment, leaving the entrepreneur with an incomplete facility but a full interest-paying obligation that eventually cripples some of them.
By raising fresh capital, the Ministry intends for the EXIM Bank to pay off all outstanding commitments, and also make full loans available to new lenders in the future to safeguard their projects and give them a proper fighting chance.
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare was clear that this rescue mission transcends partisan lines. Whether a project was started under a different administration or by an investor with different political leanings, the Ministry’s priority is the survival of the Ghanaian economy.
The government aims to stop the loss of taxpayer money and finally begin yielding dividends from these industrial sites.
From Apprenticeship to Entrepreneurship
Beyond large-scale financing, the Minister detailed a comprehensive “Apprenticeship to Entrepreneurship” program designed to bridge the skills gap among the unemployed youth.
Through the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), 6,194 young Ghanaians have not only been trained in technical and business management but have also been supplied with startup kits. Hon. Ofosu-Adjare argued that training without tools is a futile exercise that fails to move the needle on unemployment.
Last year, the GEA also demonstrated a strong commitment to gender sensitivity in its disbursement of funds. Through strategic partnerships with financial institutions, over 9.1 million Ghana Cedis was accessed for beneficiaries, with a notable focus on women-led businesses.
The Trade Minister explained that Of the 432 direct beneficiaries of a recent $10.04 million disbursement, 243 were females, reflecting a deliberate policy to empower women within the agribusiness and manufacturing value chains.
She also highlighted the impact of the Rural Enterprise Development Fund, which has disbursed $506,000 to 1,317 micro and small enterprises.
“This fund serves as a lifeline for rural businesses that would otherwise collapse due to a lack of liquidity. Additionally, the Ministry has inaugurated the grant committee for the Ghana Economic Transformation Project (GETP), a World Bank-funded initiative currently screening applications from entrepreneurs for final approval”
Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry
By combining high-level capital market strategies with grassroots grant programs, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare is attempting to create a multi-tiered financial safety net for Ghanaian industry. Her message to the business community was one of accountability and support: the government will provide the capital, but the industry must provide the results.
“Access to finance has always been a challenge, and the cost of growing in Ghana has been high. This is what our Rural Enterprises Programme does to ensure that people get funding for their businesses.
“We have inaugurated the grant committee of the Ghana Economic Transformation Project funded by the World Bank. We are high on protecting the investment that has been made with the taxpayers’ money”
Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry
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