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President Akufo-Addo Champions Ghana’s Economic Transformation at China-Africa Private Sector Forum
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In a powerful address delivered at the China-Africa Private Sector Cooperation Forum on September 7, 2024, in Shenzhen, China, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana made a compelling case for stronger China-Africa economic collaboration, highlighting Ghana’s efforts toward industrialization, agricultural modernization, and green development.
His speech, delivered as part of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), outlined the transformative opportunities for investment in Ghana while emphasizing the country’s strategic role as a hub for economic growth in Africa.
In his address, President Akufo-Addo praised the remarkable achievements of Shenzhen, a city that epitomizes China’s economic transformation through innovation and investment. “Shenzhen symbolizes the extraordinary achievements that are possible through innovation, investment, and partnership,” he remarked.
Drawing parallels, he pointed out how similar efforts in Ghana are beginning to bear fruit and invited Chinese and global investors to join Ghana in replicating these successes across the African continent.
Central to President Akufo-Addo’s address was Ghana’s ambitious industrialization agenda. He emphasized that the key to Ghana’s economic transformation lies in adding value to its abundant natural resources.
One of the flagship sectors highlighted by the President was the burgeoning vehicle assembly industry, which has already attracted major global brands like Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Sinotruk to set up plants in the country.
The President assured potential investors of Ghana’s conducive investment environment, supported by the country’s Automotive Development Policy, which offers tax breaks and incentives for vehicle assembly operations.
With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat based in Accra, the President further stressed that Ghana offers investors a strategic gateway to the entire African market, positioning itself as a vital hub for regional trade and manufacturing.
Beyond the automotive sector, President Akufo-Addo outlined the success of the “One District, One Factory” (1D1F) initiative, a cornerstone of his government’s industrialization strategy.
Through this programme, the government has facilitated the establishment of at least one manufacturing facility in each of the country’s 261 districts.
As a result, 321 new factories have been developed, with 211 of them being brand-new enterprises. The initiative has also led to the creation of 170,000 jobs, and the President projected even more growth as the program continues to expand.
He urged Chinese investors to consider the vast potential within this program, emphasizing its role in decentralizing industry, creating jobs, and driving rural development.
President Akufo-Addo also acknowledged agriculture as the backbone of Ghana’s economy, contributing significantly to the nation’s GDP. However, he stressed that the sector remains ripe for modernization. The President highlighted Ghana’s “Planting for Food and Jobs” (PFJ) initiative, which has already supported over 1.9 million farmers, significantly boosting the production of key staples such as maize and rice.
Yet, the President was keen to underscore the immense opportunity for investment in agro-processing, a sector he believes will move Ghana up the agricultural value chain. With Ghana being the world’s second-largest producer of cocoa, he urged investors to seize the chance to partner in agro-processing, storage, mechanization, and sustainable agricultural practices, including organic farming.
President Akufo-Addo further emphasized his government’s commitment to green development, seeing it as both a moral imperative and an economic opportunity. He highlighted Ghana’s ambitious goals to increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix to 10% by 2030, presenting a wealth of opportunities for investment in solar and wind energy.
“Ghana’s doors are wide open to investors who share our vision of a prosperous, industrialized, agriculturally modern, and green Africa,” President Akufo-Addo declared, adding that Ghana offers significant incentives, such as tax breaks and guaranteed feed-in tariffs, to encourage investments in renewable energy.
The President also emphasized the need for improved waste management and recycling, viewing it as an area of immense potential for economic value creation.
In closing, President Akufo-Addo called for China and Africa to deepen their economic cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative, stressing that partnerships must be built on mutual respect and sustainable development. “The time is ripe for investment in Ghana,” he urged, calling on investors to seize the opportunities in industrialization, agriculture, and green development.
As Ghana continues to pave the way for economic transformation, President Akufo-Addo’s message at the China-Africa Private Sector Cooperation Forum was clear: Ghana is open for business, ready to partner with investors to build a future of shared prosperity and sustainable growth.
Residents of Brodi, a farming community in the Tain District of the Bono Region, have been left in shock and mourning following the alleged murder of a 45-year-old woman by her husband, who later died by suicide.
According to information gathered by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the suspect, popularly known as Kwabena Jack, believed to be in his 50s, allegedly attacked and killed his wife, Abena Donkor, while the couple were working on their farm on Monday, August 11, 2026.
Mr Kingsley Obah, Assembly Member for the Brodi Electoral Area, confirmed the incident to the GNA.
He explained that after news of the woman’s death spread through the community, residents launched a search for the suspect. His lifeless body was later discovered in a nearby bush on Tuesday, August 12, 2026.
Police have since conveyed both bodies to the Tain District Government Hospital, where they have been deposited for preservation and autopsy.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing. -GNA
Hawkers and roaming preachers have taken over the five-metre high Madina REDCO footbridge and adjoining streets, making it increasingly difficult for pedestrians to use the facility intended to promote safe road crossing.
The traders have virtually turned sections of the footbridge into a marketplace, displaying their wares on the floor using jute sacks, plastic sheets and metal trays, while others have occupied both sides of the walkway with their merchandise.
Foodstuffs such as okro, garden eggs, pepper, onions, dried fish, smoked fish, grains, spices and other groceries are openly sold on the footbridge and along the roadside, forcing pedestrians to weave through the crowded path.
Clothing and fashion accessories including slippers, brassieres, panties, socks, bags and other household items are also displayed for sale, leaving only limited space for commuters to use.
The situation is worsened by the presence of itinerant preachers who position themselves on the footbridge with public address systems to evangelise, drawing crowds to further obstruct pedestrian movement.
Head porters are also seen crossing the highway through the median while carrying heavy loads instead of using the footbridge, exposing themselves to the danger of being knocked down by speeding vehicles.
Also, portions of the footbridge are showing signs of deterioration. Several metal railings are rusted, bent and loosely secured with pieces of wire, raising concerns about the safety of users, especially children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Sections of the concrete surface are worn and chipped, while makeshift wooden supports attached to parts of the structure suggest temporary repairs.
After a visit by The Spectator last week, it emerged that many commuters preferred crossing the busy Madina Highway instead of using the footbridge because of the congestion created by the trading and preaching activities.
For years, successive attempts by the police, the military and the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly to address congestion around the REDCO and Zongo Junction enclave have yielded little success, with the area becoming notorious for roadside trading, indiscriminate parking and pedestrians refusing to use the footbridge.
A pedestrian, who gave her name only as Maame Yaa, described the situation as worrying, saying the footbridge, which was constructed to protect lives, had gradually lost its purpose because of the growing encroachment by traders and preachers.
According to her, many pedestrians were discouraged from using the facility because navigating through the crowded walkway had become difficult and uncomfortable.
She appealed to the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly and other relevant authorities to intensify enforcement to prevent unauthorised trading and other activities on the footbridge and ensure it served its intended purpose of promoting pedestrian safety.
However, during the visit, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were seen carrying out a decongestion exercise to remove hawkers from sections of the roadside around the footbridge as part of efforts to improve public safety and ease the movement of both pedestrians and motorists.
The exercise forms part of a pilot project initiated by the Municipal Fire Commander for Madina, Division Officer II (DO II) Abdul Salia, who assumed command of the Madina Municipal Fire Station three months ago.
Speaking in an interview with The Spectator, DO II Abdulai Salia, who is also a long time resident of the community, said the month long project began on July 1 and ended on July 31, with 30 firefighters deployed daily to regulate traffic, clear hawkers from the streets and footbridge, and create access for emergency vehicles.
Continued on page 12
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
