Dangote to open Invest Ghana Summit as Accra showcases $10bn investment drive

ACCRA — Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest person, will join President John Dramani Mahama to open the inaugural Invest Ghana Summit in Accra next week, as Ghana pitches global investors on a government investment programme worth $10 billion over 2026–2030.

The two-day summit, organised by the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA), takes place on November 16–17 at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City. It runs under the theme "Investing in Ghana's New Economy: Building a Productive Economy that Creates Value and Competes Globally."

A fireside conversation with Africa's top industrialist

Dangote is scheduled to take part in a fireside conversation on building one of Africa's largest industrial conglomerates, expanding investment across the continent, and developing regional value chains. President Mahama will then deliver the keynote on economic transformation, industrialisation and export growth.

GIPA Chief Executive Simon Madjie described Dangote's participation as "a powerful endorsement of Ghana's economic potential," signalling the country's appeal for large-scale industrial investment.

Why Dangote's presence matters

The Nigerian billionaire has become a vocal backer of Ghana's economic recovery. Speaking at a meeting hosted by President Mahama on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September, Dangote said Ghana's turnaround showed that "money follows trust," adding that the gains were the result of the right decisions rather than "magic."

His visit also comes as the Dangote Group expands its footprint across Africa. The group has outlined plans for an undersea fuel pipeline from Nigeria to Ghana as part of a wider push to supply refined products across West Africa, although no construction timeline has been confirmed. Earlier this month, Dangote broke ground on a $2.5 billion fuel storage hub and pipeline in Walvis Bay, Namibia.

What Ghana is putting on the table

The summit will connect investors with what GIPA describes as investment-ready projects across all 16 regions. Priority sectors include manufacturing, agribusiness, energy, infrastructure, logistics, mining, healthcare, tourism, digital technology and the creative economy.

Flagship projects on show include:

• The $1.46 billion Buipe Solar and Battery Storage Project in the Savannah Region, designed to power inland ports, logistics hubs and agro-industrial parks
• The Eastern Railway Line and the Accra–Tema Motorway expansion
• The Volo–Battor Agro-Industrial Park and the Volta Lake Transport System
• The Legon Pharmaceutical Innovation Park and the Tamale Air Cargo and Logistics Hub

The programme also features an AfCFTA Investment Breakfast, investment deal rooms, and business-to-government meetings supported by an Investor Facilitation Hub that brings together 19 public institutions.

A friendlier rulebook for investors

Ghana has recently loosened several rules for foreign investors. Under Act 1135, the government removed the $500,000 minimum capital requirement for wholly foreign-owned enterprises. The new GIPA Act (Act 1173) broadens the rules on technology transfer agreements to cover software and foreign trademarks, and shortens their minimum duration from 18 to 12 months.

The summit "came at a crucial time in Ghana's economic recovery," Madjie said at its launch in October.

A recovering economy

The event follows a sharp turnaround in Ghana's economy. Inflation has fallen from a peak of 54.1% at the end of 2022 to low single digits, according to IMF data cited by Graphic Online, while gross reserves stand at $14.4 billion. Foreign direct investment is estimated at $2.61 billion this year, up from $652 million in 2024.

What to watch

Investors will be looking for signs of how quickly projects move from presentations to signed deals, whether Dangote announces any new commitments in Ghana, and how the summit positions the country to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area, whose secretariat is headquartered in Accra.