Mahama cuts sod for Afienya Industrial Park, targets 120 enterprises

President John Mahama ceremonially planted the first seeds for the Afienya Industrial Park, a sprawling development set to host over 120 businesses and generate jobs as part of Ghana's strategy to become a manufacturing and logistics center for West Africa. Spanning 1,238 acres, the park provides serviced plots, prefab factory shells, and critical infrastructure like electricity, water, roads, drainage, waste treatment, and security.

During the sod-cutting ceremony, Mahama emphasized the project's response to investor demand and the need to provide space and facilities for businesses to establish factories and boost production. He noted the Tema Export Processing Zone's capacity constraint as a positive indicator of investor interest in Ghana's economic growth.

Mahama affirmed the government's commitment to transforming investor interest into factories, jobs, and increased exports by creating litigation-free land and delivering essential services. The project would benefit from financing under Ghana's $10 billion New Economy Programme, with $2 billion annually earmarked for productive sectors over four years, primarily in agriculture and agro-processing.

Mahama highlighted the park's strategic location along the Eastern Corridor Road, its proximity to the Port of Tema, and the Tema-Mpakadan railway, promising businesses a competitive edge in logistics. Priority sectors include cocoa, cashew, oil palm, textiles, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts, and light engineering, with ancillary opportunities in logistics, data services, and green manufacturing.

Mahama stressed that the park's advantages should extend to local communities, advocating for training programs to integrate residents into supply chains. He linked the success of the Afienya Industrial Park to Ghana's broader industrialization goals, encouraging businesses to establish themselves there and leverage Ghana as a gateway to wider African and global markets.