Accra, August 25, 25, 2017//-Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has revealed that about 51 districts are expected to rollout business enterprises under the one-district-one factory initiative by the close of the year.
Those enterprises are to generate no less than 80,000 direct and indirect jobs for the youth, he said and called for the unalloyed support of all Ghanaians and financial institutions for the project.
“We have to banish the spectre of young able bodied men and women who leave our rural areas for urban areas in search of non-existent jobs. Every district in our country abounds in raw materials and it is the vision of government to create economic growth poles out of them. It is the only way we can deal effectively with the greatest threat to our future, widespread unemployment among our youth. The time has come to bring prosperity to all Ghanaians”, he said.
President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the inauguration of the One-district-one-factory initiative and the commissioning of the first project under the initiative at Ekumfi Eyisam in the Central region.
He said the initiative would promote rapid industrialisation at the district level driven by strong linkages to agriculture and other natural resources endowment.
He said US$340 million has been leveraged from local financial institutions for the programme.
He added that government in collaboration with Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has also arranged a suppliers’ credit facility for US$2 billion from China to provide equipment, machinery and other facilities in support of the programme.
The Member of Parliament for the Mfantseman East Constituency, Mr Kingsley Ato Cudjoe expressed his gratitude to the President for bringing the first factory under the initiative to the Ekumfi District.
He said the factory would go a long way to improve the living conditions of the people in the district.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, hundreds of people in the Ekumfi District in the Central Region have gathered at Ekumfi Eyisam Rest Stop waiting for the arrival of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to officially cut the sod to begin work on the first factory in the One-District-One-Factory initiative.
They say they are already excited about the project and the benefits it stands to bring them.
Today work on the first of factories to begin the famous One-District-One-Factory campaign promise of the Akufo-Addo led government is to be launched at Ekumfi Eyisam.
Later in the day, the President will formally cut the sod for the Ekumfi Pineapple and Juices Factory.
Mr Kwesi Dadzie, a resident of Ekumfi Nanabin who has four acres of pineapple farm, is happy that the factory would particularly free the pineapple farmers from exploitation by middle women who come to buy the pineapples at giveaway prices from the farmers.
Training
He says farmers who would serve as out-growers have already been trained on how to maximise yields from their farms.
Again, he is happy that the factory would help control rural, urban migration.
“Many of our youth have left this area in search of jobs. I urge all citizens of Ekumfi to come home and help us make this factory work.”
Mr Ibrahim Sagoe, also a pineapple farmer, says he is ready to commit more efforts into his farm.
Provide Support
Mr Dadzie appealed to the government to work to ensure the farmers are able to expand their farms by giving them funding.
He called for the supply of farming inputs such as fertilizer and suckers for planting.
The Youth
Some of the youth, including student Luke Mohammed looked to the project with high hopes of landing jobs after school. And they were grateful for the honour brought to the people of Ekumfi.
The One-District-One-Factory initiative is to help address the challenges of slow economic growth at the district level.
According to the government, the One-District-One-Factory programme aims to do this through massive private sector-led nationwide industrialisation drive which would equip and empower communities to utilise their local resources. It is expected to create thousands of jobs per district by the end of 2020.
Implementing Partner
The Ekumfi project is being undertaken in partnership with Greenfield Pineapple and Foods Ghana Limited, a private company which is expected to be fed by a 200 acre pineapple farm for the company to employ about 5,000 farmers. The supplies would be supplemented by about 5,000 outgrower farmers in the district.
Already the company has cultivated 90 acres of pineapple farm at Gomoa Oguaa and Gomoa Assin.
The National Coordinator of the One-District-One-Factory inauguration committee, Gifty Ohene told newsmen the Ekumfi Pineapple and Juices Factory Limited is expected to process 180,000 pieces of pineapple fruits a day.
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