Traders in Aflao are celebrating the announcement of a $30 million grant from China for the construction of a modern market, saying the long-awaited development will finally reduce their reliance on neighbouring Togo for goods and trading opportunities.
The new market, to be built at the Akuɖasi Market site, is expected to transform the border town’s commercial landscape, providing local traders with access to improved infrastructure, expanded product availability, and better trading conditions without the burden of crossing international borders.
“This market will make our lives easier, we won’t have to struggle to cross the border into Togo just to buy goods. Sometimes the border delays and costs money. But with a new market here, everything we need will be closer,” said Madam Lucia Atitsu, a long-time trader at the market.
She praised the initiative as a critical step toward economic independence for Aflao’s traders, many of whom have had to source essential products and wholesale items from Togo due to limited facilities and supply chains in Ghana.
Border closures, customs delays, and transport costs have long posed challenges for these traders, issues the new market aims to solve.
“This is a real solution, not just a promise. It’s development that puts the needs of traders and border communities first,” Madam Atitsu added.
The $30 million grant, secured under Ghana’s economic cooperation agreement with China, is expected to finance the construction of a fully modern market complex.
However, the new facility will include modern stalls, sanitation systems, storage spaces, and parking areas to accommodate hundreds of traders.
Mr. Koffie Tanna, a local carpenter whose workshop lies just behind the market area, expressed optimism about the opportunities the project will bring to artisans and other local workers.
“This is good news for us. Carpenters, masons, plumbers, painters, we will all get work to do when the construction starts,” he said.
“And when the market is completed, more people will come here to trade. It will grow Aflao’s economy and reduce how much we depend on other places like Lomé,” he added.
The President pledged to invest in infrastructure in border towns such as Aflao to spur local development and improve cross-border trade dynamics.
For years, Aflao’s traders have faced the difficult choice of operating in underdeveloped facilities or crossing into Togo for goods and better trade conditions. With this project, they believe the tables are finally turning in their favour.
According to community members, the new market will serve as more than just a trading space. It is expected to become a regional hub that enhances Ghana’s trade competitiveness within the West African corridor, reducing capital flight and boosting local production and consumption.
“This market will reposition Aflao. It will keep more of our money in Ghana and attract traders from across the region,” said a local assembly member.
