Upper East Region to get fair share of $10bn to be invested in 7 sectors of the economy

President John Dramani Mahama has announced a $10 billion investment into seven key sectors of the Ghanaian economy over the next four years. During his visit to the Upper East Region, he emphasized that 50% of the annual $2.5 billion investment would be dedicated to agriculture and agro-processing. The primary goal of this investment is to create jobs and boost food production, which in turn will reduce the country's reliance on food imports.

The Upper East Region, Mahama stated, has the potential to feed the entire country. He highlighted existing irrigation facilities in the region that could be rehabilitated to enable year-round cultivation, highlighting the region's potential for vegetable production. The President assured the region would receive its fair share of the five billion dollars earmarked for agriculture and agro-processing.

He pointed out ongoing projects, such as the tomato revitalisation project that currently covers 2,500 acres of land in the region, and the rehabilitation of the Pwalugu tomato factory to process locally produced tomatoes. This initiative aims to decrease the nation's dependence on tomato imports.

Regarding onion production, Mahama announced plans to complete the Tono irrigation project, which will support dry-season farming in four districts in the Bawku area. By increasing local onion production, the government hopes to reduce the country's reliance on imports from Niger.