Secretary-General of the Africa Society and a former African Union official, Ambassador Ahmed Haggag, has called on Ghanaian authorities to urgently make vast use of the Egyptian market for their cocoa exports, describing the current trade relationship as a missed opportunity for both countries.
Speaking in an interview with Tobinco Media Group journalist, Ebenezer Madugu, on the sidelines of the ongoing 62nd Union of African Journalists (UAJ) training session in Cairo, Ambassador Haggag said Ghana must wake up to the realities and possibilities of intra-African trade, particularly within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He delivered a lecture at the session on “Free Trade Zone in Africa: Hopes and Challenges.”
“Ghana is a big exporting country of cocoa. I think they should make more effort to use the vast Egyptian market,” Haggag stressed. “We don’t grow any cocoa in Egypt, so we welcome very much any Ghanaian effort to introduce Ghanaian cocoa here.”
Egypt, with a population exceeding 100 million and a fast-growing food and confectionery industry, represents one of Africa’s largest untapped consumer markets. Yet, according to Haggag, Ghanaian cocoa largely enters Egypt indirectly through international middlemen, pushing prices higher and denying both countries the full benefits of direct trade.
“chocolate companies in my country import Ghana cocoa from outside Africa itself at a higher price,” he noted. “That’s why we should deal directly with each other. Ghana will benefit and Egypt benefits.”
The appeal comes at a crucial time for Ghana’s cocoa sector. Ghana is the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, contributing roughly 20–25 percent of global output. Cocoa remains the backbone of the country’s agricultural exports, generating about $2 billion annually and accounting for nearly 30 percent of foreign exchange earnings.
Despite this dominance, Ghana continues to rely heavily on European markets, exporting mostly raw beans rather than finished or semi-processed products within Africa.
Recent fluctuations in production and export volumes have further exposed the need for market diversification. Analysts argue that tapping into regional markets like Egypt could cushion Ghana against global shocks while strengthening Africa-to-Africa trade.
Ambassador Haggag emphasized that the AfCFTA provides a historic opportunity to change old trade patterns inherited from the colonial era.
Story written by Ebenezer Madugu
