VW Ghana Boss: Country's Automotive Policy Needs Bold Political Will to Reach Full Potential

The Chief Executive Officer of Volkswagen Ghana, Jeffrey Oppong Peprah, has described Ghana's Automotive Development Policy as still being in a "trial-and-error phase", warning that without sustained political will, the country risks stalling its broader industrialisation ambitions.

Peprah made the remarks at the Citi Business Festival 2026 roundtable held on Thursday, 26 June, which focused on the state of Ghana's automotive assembly industry and its contribution to the national economy. He argued that the automotive drive must be treated as a long-term national project rather than a partisan political agenda, stressing that the benefits will ultimately be felt by current and future generations of Ghanaians.

"We should be doing much better — we are still in a more trial-and-error phase, but I think we should have belief in this policy and in this industrialisation agenda because it's me and you, it's the children of today and tomorrow. This is not a political thing, it's more of a national thing," he said.

Drawing comparisons to established global automotive hubs, Peprah expressed cautious optimism about Ghana's trajectory. "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 a government to push through. If we are bold and take courageous steps, I think we will definitely go far," he added.

The Volkswagen Ghana CEO also revealed that Ghana is already gaining recognition across the African continent as a model for automotive policy development. He disclosed that representatives from approximately 23 African countries visited Ghana recently to study its policy framework, underlining the country's growing influence within the sub-region.

Whilst acknowledging the notable strides made so far, Peprah stressed that further decisive action is required to consolidate gains and ensure the industry reaches full maturity — a goal he believes is within reach if the right political courage is demonstrated.