President John Dramani Mahama has cut the sod for Tema Integrated Industrial Park describing the project as central to Ghana’s efforts to transform itself from a raw material exporter into a manufacturing and export-driven economy.
Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony for the project, a joint venture between the Tema Development Corporation, Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GAIDEC) and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, Mahama said the industrial hub would anchor Ghana’s ambitions to expand local processing, manufacturing and exports under the government’s 24-hour economy policy.
“This ceremony marks the practical implementation of a vision to transform Ghana from a predominantly raw materials exporting economy into a competitive industrial nation,” Mahama said.
The industrial park, located within Tema’s heavy industrial enclave and adjacent to the Volta Aluminium Company, will cover about 120 hectares and focus on downstream aluminium processing, logistics, warehousing and export-oriented manufacturing.
Mahama said the project forms part of a broader strategy to develop a complete domestic aluminium value chain, from bauxite mining and alumina refining to aluminium fabrication and finished industrial products.
“For too long, Ghana has exported the raw material that fuels industries elsewhere while importing finished products at many times their original value,” he said.
The president said the project is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, attract private investment and position Ghana as an industrial gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The development is expected to help diversify Ghana’s economy beyond commodity exports and stabilize growth after recent fiscal and debt challenges. Policymakers have increasingly focused on industrialization and export expansion as a means of strengthening foreign exchange earnings and reducing import dependence.
Mahama linked the initiative to the industrial vision of Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, who envisioned Tema as the industrial center of the country through investments in ports, energy infrastructure and manufacturing.
“Every shipment of unprocessed raw materials represents jobs that we have exported to other countries,” Mahama said.
According to the president, the new industrial park would operate as an integrated production ecosystem under the 24-hour economy program, combining manufacturing, transport, customs facilitation and logistics infrastructure to improve export competitiveness.
Mahama also disclosed plans to rehabilitate Tema’s older industrial areas, which he described as deteriorated and inconsistent with the city’s original industrial ambitions.
ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, which has developed industrial zones in countries including Benin and Gabon, entered discussions with Ghana after previous attempts to establish a similar project stalled under earlier administrations, according to Mahama.
The president further disclosed that6 a Ghanaian delegation visited an ARISE industrial zone in Benin before approving the Tema project, describing the development there as “very impressive” and instrumental in positioning Benin as a value-addition and export hub.
The ceremony took place against the backdrop of severe flooding in parts of southern Ghana following heavy rainfall that Mahama said dumped about 140 millimeters of water within 24 hours.
“For those who doubt climate change, climate change is real,” Mahama said, extending sympathies to families affected by flooding and missing persons reported after the rains.
The project pushes Ghana further in the use of industrial parks and special economic zones to deepen manufacturing capacity and capture more value from natural resources instead of exporting raw commodities.
