By Wilberforce Asare

Copyright asaaseradio

The 2025 edition of the Netherlands-Ghana Business and Tourism Expo has opened in The Hague, the Netherlands, under the theme “Partnership for Growth: Trade, Innovation and Sustainability.”

Netherlands-Ghana Business & Tourism Expo 2025 is a platform dedicated to fostering innovation and sustainable development through collaboration between Ghana and the Netherlands.

Its mission is to facilitate meaningful connections and explore opportunities for trade, investments, and digitalization that can contribute to long-term economic growth and prosperity for both nations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony held at The Hague University of Applied Sciences on Thursday, 18 September 2025, Ghana’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mr Francis Danti Kotia, observed that Ghana’s relations with the Netherlands date back over 300 years and the relationship continues to be defined by shared values and cooperation in all areas of our bilateral relationship.

“This Fair is a reaffirmation of our enduring bilateral partnership, and an opportunity to explore deeper collaboration in all sectors of common interest. At the centre of this engagement lies a sector that remains fundamental to Ghana’s economy and national development vision: agriculture and agribusiness,” Ambassador Kotia said.

To give practical meaning to this vision, Ambassador Kotia noted that “President John Dramani Mahama established the Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness (PIAA) to advance his strategic vision of transforming and modernizing the agriculture sector.”

“These are: the Feed Ghana Programme, the Feed the Industry Programme, and Agriculture Investment and Infrastructure Development. These are further indications of the government’s renewed emphasis on agriculture as a vehicle for economic transformation.

“Through this renewed focus, Ghana is seeking not only to increase productivity but to build stronger value chains, attract investment into agro-processing, and introduce more sustainable and innovative farming practices,” Mr. Kotia remarked.

“This Fair offers a timely platform to build on existing ties and explore new frontiers for cooperation. As Ghana expands its role within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the case for investment in Ghana, particularly in agriculture and agro-processing, grows stronger.

“We are committed to creating a conducive policy environment and facilitating strategic partnerships that unlock value across the entire chain, from farms to markets. At the same time, we remain guided by the principle that growth must be inclusive and sustainable,” he further remarked.

In his keynote address, Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr. John Dumelo, noted that the government of Ghana is ready to welcome Dutch investors who are willing and prepared to invest in Ghana’s agricultural sector.

He added that the John Mahama-led administration is committed to ensuring that, over the next four years, which is the constitutional lifespan of the administration, it will transform the food and agriculture sector to make the country food sufficient, as well as increase its food exports, particularly to the Netherlands.

Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in The Hague, Netherlands

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Mr. Dumelo encouraged all the participants to engage with a single-minded purpose. He also urged the participants to forge partnerships that extend beyond transactions, partnerships characterized by mutual benefit, long-term vision, and the kind of innovation that uplifts people and protects the environment.