Businessman and Chief Executive Officer of Dzata Cement, Ibrahim Mahama, has challenged Ghanaians to abandon what he described as a mindset of dependence on foreign businesses and take greater risks to build large-scale indigenous companies.
According to him, Ghanaian entrepreneurs have the capacity to establish and own major industrial enterprises rather than remain employees of foreign-owned companies.
“We can’t always be beggars, and we can’t only just be employees of foreign companies. We can build it ourselves,” Mr Mahama said.
He was speaking on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the fifth anniversary celebration of Dzata Cement, where he reflected on the circumstances that led to the establishment of the wholly Ghanaian-owned cement manufacturing company.
Mr Mahama said his decision to establish Dzata Cement was partly driven by his determination to challenge the perception that Ghanaians could not build a cement manufacturing plant.
He recalled that his interest in cement production began while working as a cement transporter and mining contractor.
According to him, he once followed his trucks to Ghacem in Takoradi and became curious about how cement was manufactured.
“I looked at the structure and said, look, I could build one,” he recalled.
That observation, he said, eventually led him to travel to Germany, engage equipment manufacturers and secure financing to establish his own cement plant.
The project, however, was not without difficulties.
Mr Mahama said the construction encountered serious financial and operational challenges before his younger brother and other individuals helped him complete the installation of the plant.
He also acknowledged the role played by distributors who supported Dzata Cement during its difficult early days, including a period when the company struggled to raise funds to clear imported cement.
“They all joined hands together, the cement came, we allocated it to them, and then Dzata Cement started,” he said.
The businessman also recalled a conversation with a former Ghacem boss, Morten, who he said doubted that a Ghanaian could build a cement plant.
Mr Mahama said the scepticism only strengthened his resolve to prove otherwise.
“I said, Morten, you’re lying. I pray you live and see this plant being built,” he recalled.
Five years after Dzata Cement began operations, Mr Mahama said the company represents part of a wider ambition to demonstrate that Ghanaians can participate in capital-intensive industries traditionally dominated by foreign companies.
He said his ambition extends beyond Dzata Cement, with plans to pursue other ventures that could further demonstrate the capacity of Ghanaian entrepreneurs to build successful businesses.
His comments come as Ghana continues to pursue industrialisation and greater local participation in manufacturing and other productive sectors.
Mr Mahama’s own business interests have expanded beyond cement into mining and other sectors. His Engineers and Planners has also moved from mining contracting into mine ownership, including its takeover of the Damang Mine earlier this year.
He therefore urged Ghanaians to develop greater confidence in their ability to identify opportunities, take calculated risks and create businesses capable of operating at scale.
For him, the success of Dzata Cement is not merely a corporate milestone but evidence that Ghanaian-owned businesses can compete in industries requiring significant capital, technical expertise and long-term commitment.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
