Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Professor Robert Darko Osei, has called for increased investment in Ghana’s manufacturing sector to boost job creation and promote sustainable economic growth.
He made the call at the launch of the 35th edition of the State of the Ghanaian Economy Report (SGER) on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, at the ISSER Office Complex and Digital Centre Conference Room at the University of Ghana.
Speaking in a media engagement after the launch, Professor Osei noted that although the country’s macroeconomic indicators were stabilising, Ghana could not rely solely on point-source resources such as gold to drive employment and long-term development.
“Point-source resources, such as gold, cannot be sustainable particularly given that prices are exogenously determined. If we really want to concentrate on jobs, then it has to be the manufacturing sector,” he said.
Professor Osei also questioned Ghana’s progress in expanding manufacturing through value addition and competitiveness, saying greater investment would be needed to make the sector more productive.
“How are we expanding manufacturing in terms of value addition and competitiveness? That will require that we actually invest in a way that makes manufacturing more productive,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the event and Deputy Managing Director of Business and Operations at the National Investment Bank (NIB), Belinda Boamah, called on the financial sector to ensure that gains from macroeconomic stability translate into sustainable economic growth.
She emphasised the need for long-term, affordable financing for businesses in agriculture, manufacturing and value addition, which she said are essential to creating jobs.
“Stability is a foundation and not the destination. Our task in the financial sector is to channel the gains of stability into long-term, affordable finance for businesses that create jobs in agriculture, manufacturing, and value addition,” she said.
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Story by Emmanuella Ntowbea Marbell | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Vanessa Katrin Ohene
