In a major boost to Ghana’s manufacturing sector, President John Dramani Mahama officially commissioned the B5 Plus Steel Ball & Section Mill in Prampram on Friday, February 20, 2026. The $200 million facility, established by B5 Plus Limited, is set to transform Ghana into a regional hub for steel production, providing critical components for the mining and construction industries across West Africa.
The commissioning follows the President's recent pledge at the 2026 Mining Local Content Summit to halt the export of raw minerals and prioritize value-added processing within Ghana.
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| President John Mahama |
A Strategic Forex-Saver and Job Creator
The new factory, located within the Ningo-Prampram District, is engineered to address the heavy reliance on imported steel products. By manufacturing these goods locally, the facility is projected to save Ghana significant foreign exchange.
Foreign Exchange Savings: The plant is estimated to save Ghana approximately $100 million in its first year, with the potential to reach $200 million annually as it scales to its second phase.
Employment Impact: B5 Plus currently employs over 15,000 people both directly and indirectly. The new expansion at Prampram is expected to add thousands of new jobs for the youth in the local community.
Production Capacity: The modernized plant features an installed capacity of 250,000 metric tonnes (MT) per annum for its rolling mill and 60,000 MT for its prefabricated manufacturing plant.
Powering the Mining and Construction Sectors
The Prampram facility is specifically equipped to produce forged steel balls, which are essential for ore grinding in the mining sector, as well as structural beams and sections for large-scale infrastructure projects.
President Mahama highlighted that this investment aligns with his administration's "Reset Agenda," which focuses on industrial clusters and "Made in Ghana" products to anchor economic sovereignty. During his address, he emphasized that Ghana’s mineral wealth must "power Ghana's industrialization, not merely sustain export dependence".
Context: Sustainable and Green Industrialization
B5 Plus has also integrated sustainable practices into its operations, recently securing a $15 million loan from Norfund to modernize its facilities and build a 16 MW solar power facility at the Prampram site.
Renewable Energy: The integration of solar energy and the use of recycled scrap metal aim to reduce the carbon footprint of Ghana’s steel supply chain.
Regional Leader: With its products already in demand across all 15 ECOWAS nations, the new mill positions B5 Plus to dominate the West African market, moving Ghana from a net importer to a dominant net exporter of steel materials.
What Happens Next for Ghana's Steel Industry
Following the inauguration, the Ministry of Trade and Industry is expected to work with B5 Plus to finalize long-term power and water supply agreements to ensure the factory operates at its full 24-hour capacity.
The government has also signaled that it will explore a ban on the importation of steel products that can be competitively produced by local factories like B5 Plus, further protecting the domestic industry and encouraging local procurement by mining firms.
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