Ghana must invest in indigenous businesses and build its capacity to manufacture essential industrial products locally to strengthen the economy, businessman and politician Akwasi Addai Odike has said.
He argued that the country’s economic recovery depended largely on developing a strong private sector capable of producing goods currently imported from other countries.
Speaking on Angel FM, the founder and leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP) said Ghana had the human resource potential to manufacture spare parts and even engines if deliberate efforts were made to develop the necessary technical skills.
“We can manufacture our own spare parts. People can be taught to make engines. We need to make the conscious effort,” he stated.
Mr Odike expressed concern about what he described as the growing influence of foreign interests in Ghana’s business environment, particularly the presence of Chinese-owned enterprises.
He claimed that many businesses operating in the country were owned by Chinese nationals and that their operations largely served Chinese interests.
“Most of the businesses here are for Chinese, and they run based on Chinese interest,” he said.
He called for policies and practical interventions that would enable Ghanaian entrepreneurs to establish, expand and compete in key sectors of the economy.
According to him, empowering local businesses would strengthen domestic production, create opportunities for technical skills development and reduce the country’s reliance on foreign-owned enterprises and imported products.
His comments highlight the need for a stronger indigenous private sector and a manufacturing base capable of supporting Ghana’s long-term economic development.
