Ahead of his assumption of duty in Abuja, Ghana’s High Commissioner-designate to Nigeria, H. E Baba Sadiq Abdulai- Abu has paid a courtesy call on the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Mr. Simon Madjie, to discuss strategies for deepening Ghana-Nigeria investment and trade relations.
The meeting, held at the GIPC headquarters in Accra, focused on leveraging economic diplomacy to attract more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Ghana and to create expanded market opportunities for Ghanaian businesses operating in Nigeria.
The engagement comes at a time when Ghana is consolidating its position as a leading investment destination in West Africa. According to data from the GIPC, Ghana attracted over US$2.6 billion in Foreign Direct Investment across 254 projects in 2025, underscoring renewed investor confidence in the Ghanaian economy.
Significantly, Nigeria emerged as one of the top contributors to this performance, accounting for US$104.68 million in investments and ranking as Ghana’s third-largest source of new investments for the year.
The figures, stakeholders say, highlight the deepening economic interdependence between the two largest economies in West Africa and point to an even greater untapped opportunity for collaboration.
Speaking during the courtesy call, the High Commissioner-designate noted that while the numbers are encouraging, they represent only a fraction of what could be achieved if both countries deliberately work to strengthen commercial linkages.
“These numbers point to an even greater opportunity. Ghana and Nigeria share not only a common history and culture but also complementary economies. If we get the framework for economic cooperation right, we can unlock significantly more investment flows in both directions.”
H.E Abdulai Abu
He emphasized that strengthening economic diplomacy will be a key priority for Ghana’s mission in Nigeria during his tenure, adding that the High Commission will work closely with GIPC and other relevant agencies to achieve that objective.
“Strengthening economic diplomacy will be a key priority for Ghana in Nigeria. Working closely with GIPC and other stakeholders, we must deepen Ghana-Nigeria investment and trade relations, attract more Nigerian investment into Ghana and create greater opportunities for Ghanaian businesses in Nigeria.”
H.E Abdulai Abu
Envoy to Engage Private Sector on Investment Challenges
He outlined plans for structured engagements with the Nigerian private sector, including chambers of commerce, industry associations and leading conglomerates, as well as Ghanaian businesses already established in Nigeria, to better understand their challenges and to advocate for a more enabling environment.
Mr. Simon Madjie, CEO of GIPC, on his part, welcomed the visit and commended the High Commissioner designate for prioritizing investment promotion ahead of his posting.
He noted that Nigeria has consistently been one of Ghana’s most important investment partners, with Nigerian businesses showing strong interest in sectors such as manufacturing, services, ICT, construction, and general trading.
According to Mr. Madjie, the Centre is ready to collaborate with Ghana’s mission in Abuja and Lagos to organize targeted investment forums, business-to-business matchmaking sessions and roadshows to showcase Ghana’s investment opportunities.
He explained that GIPC’s recent reforms, including streamlined business registration processes, enhanced aftercare services and sector-specific investment incentives, have made Ghana even more attractive for regional investors.
“Ghana attracted over US$2.6 billion in FDI across 254 projects in 2025, with Nigeria accounting for US$104.68 million, making it Ghana’s third-largest source of new investments. This tells us that the appetite is there, and our job is to make the process even easier and more transparent.”
Mr. Madjie
GIPC Eyes Support for Ghanaian Firms Expanding into Nigeria
He added that beyond attracting Nigerian capital into Ghana, GIPC is equally interested in supporting Ghanaian companies to expand into Nigeria, Africa’s largest market by population, as part of the broader African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agenda.
Both Ghana and Nigeria are key members of ECOWAS and signatories to the AfCFTA, whose secretariat is hosted in Accra. Enhanced collaboration between them is therefore seen as critical to realizing the objectives of a single African market.
Trade between the two countries has historically been significant but largely informal and fraught with occasional challenges, including difficulties around market access, border procedures and regulatory alignment. The new push for structured economic diplomacy is expected to address some of these bottlenecks.
The courtesy call ended with a commitment from both sides to maintain close coordination, share market intelligence and work jointly to facilitate investments that create jobs and promote sustainable growth in both countries.
The High Commissioner-designate is expected to assume duty in Abuja in the coming days, where economic diplomacy, diaspora engagement and strengthening bilateral ties are expected to top his agenda.
With Ghana positioning itself as a gateway to Africa and Nigeria asserting its role as the =commercial powerhouse, stakeholders are optimistic that stronger collaboration championed at the highest diplomatic level could usher in a new era of shared prosperity for both nations.
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