The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Volkswagen Ghana, Jeffrey Oppong Peprah, has asserted that Ghana’s Automotive Development Policy is still in a “trial-and-error phase” and requires stronger political will to fully drive the country’s industrialisation agenda.
He made the remarks at the Citi Business Festival 2026 roundtable on Thursday, June 25, on the theme; Driving Ghana Forward: The State of the Automotive Assembly Industry and Its Contribution to the Economy.
According to him, while the policy has recorded notable progress, its long-term success will depend on sustained political commitment and decisive action to move the industry beyond its current stage of development.
He noted that Ghana’s automotive drive must be seen as a national project that cuts across political administrations, stressing that future generations stand to benefit from its success.
“We should be doing much more better, we are still in a more like a trial and error phase, but I think we should have a belief in this policy and in this industrialisation agenda because it’s me and you, it’s children of today and tomorrow. This is not a political thing, it’s more of a national thing.
“In your introduction, you made reference to Detroit, Germany and all that. That’s how they all started. So we have come far, and where we are, we are almost across the bar. We just need to have a political [will] and a government to push through. If we are bold and we take courageous steps, I think we definitely will go far,” he said.
He further highlighted Ghana’s growing regional influence in the automotive space, revealing that several African countries are closely observing the country’s progress. He added that Ghana’s policy framework is positioning the country as a model within the sub-region.
“Last week, we had almost 23 countries, member states from the African continent in the country, coming to learn. Ghana is more like a model, because of our policy,” he stated.
He, however, acknowledged that despite these gains, more work is needed to consolidate the progress and ensure the industry reaches full maturity.
Read Also:
