In the ongoing discussion about Northshore Apparel GH, the extent of the Government of Ghana’s involvement and whether it was part of the 1D1F projects, I got the following facts from the promoters of the initiative.
- The project concept was shared with the NPP government through the 1D1F secretariat for support through the Ministry of Trade in 2022. Though the concept was acknowledged, the project was never funded.
- The 1D1F had concessionary funding arrangements with commercial banks for 1D1F projects. That support was never extended to Northshore.
- The project, at groundbreaking in 2024, had grant funding support from Investing For Employment, a facility of KFW through the German Federal Ministry of Education, a commercial loan facility from ADB PLC, and equity contributions from the promoters.
- The commercial loan facility from ADB PLC was not advanced through 1D1F or any concessionary government support programme. It was a purely commercial transaction secured by the promoters, using properties as collateral. The arrangement was the same as collecting a loan to run a fuel business.
- At the ground breaking/ sodcutting, though an invitation was extended to the government in power, all government functionaries then were distancing themselves from the project, apart from the MCE of Savelugu. The Northern Regional Minister, who was delegated through a letter from Jubilee House to attend, did not show up.
- The project was at risk of completion default in 2025 when it was presented to Ghana Exim Bank (GEXIM) for consideration. GEXIM, led by Sylvester Mensah, evaluated and increased its scope, paid off ADB PLC, and injected the much-needed funds through its concessionary rates to bring the project to its current completion.
- This was the first time deliberate state support was made available to Northshore. The YEA, through its Youth in Garment, supported the training of 1,000 beneficiaries, and NYA also supported 1,000 beneficiaries.
These are the facts known to me, and I have yet to see any evidence to the contrary that this project was under the 1D1F project.
The most important consideration here is that the factory provides jobs for thousands, and future administrations will support it in the same way they support other local and international businesses. However, it’s only fair that the facts be presented as they are.
