Trade Minister engages Moroccan delegation on strategic partnership
The Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has received a visiting delegation from the Kingdom of Morocco, led by the Deputy Head of Mission at the Moroccan Embassy in Ghana, Abderrahim Cherrab, to explore opportunities for enhanced trade and agribusiness collaboration between the two nations.
Welcoming the delegation, Ms Ofosu-Adjare underscored the longstanding diplomatic and cultural relations between Ghana and Morocco, stressing the mutual benefits that could be harnessed in trade, agribusiness, and tourism.
Drawing from her personal experience in Morocco, she praised the country's hospitality and expressed optimism about deepening bilateral cooperation, especially in areas such as fertiliser manufacturing, job creation, and food production.
She outlined Ghana’s investor-friendly environment, mentioning incentives such as tax breaks, low transportation costs, and government-backed support systems that made the country a strategic hub for manufacturing.
“The government is committed to using its purchasing power to promote locally produced goods, and we welcome Morocco’s investment in manufacturing plants that will create jobs and expand market access,” she stated.
On the topic of agribusiness, the minister stressed the ministry's focus on commercial contract farming and climate-smart agriculture to ensure a consistent raw material supply to local industries.
She highlighted Ghana's litigation-free lands and irrigation potential as key attractions for investors.
Ms Ofosu-Adjare also emphasised harmonisation of trade standards between the two countries and proposed the use of Ghana as a base for Morocco’s automobile investments in West Africa, especially in the electric vehicle space.
“We have a one-stop shop at the ministry to facilitate investor entry, and we are excited about the future collaborations that lie ahead between Ghana and Morocco,” she assured.
Response
In response, Mr Cherrab expressed Morocco’s keen interest in strengthening ties with Ghana, particularly in the area of food security.
He said the visit followed a recent bilateral engagement between Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and his Moroccan counterpart to assess Ghana’s public sector governance in food systems and identify areas for cooperation.
He disclosed that the Moroccan mission comprised experts from the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, national institutes, and universities.
Key items under discussion included the shipment of 2,000 tonnes of fertiliser to Ghana, the deployment of a diagnostic mission to assess Ghana’s agricultural landscape, and the potential establishment of a fertiliser production unit in the country.
Mr Cherrab highlighted the shared challenges between the two countries, including over-reliance on primary agriculture, low soil fertility, poor farm input usage, and post-harvest losses.
He emphasised Morocco’s readiness to share best practices in food systems and soil fertility management, and to foster South-South cooperation through joint projects and knowledge exchange.
He further mentioned a memorandum of understanding signed in 2015 between the two nations to advance bilateral regulations and cooperation, calling for a joint commercial meeting between Ghana’s Ministry of Trade and Morocco’s Ministry of Industry and Trade to facilitate the next steps in the collaboration.
