In a groundbreaking development, Ghana has secured a $30 million grant from the People’s Republic of China to construct a modern, state-of-the-art market at Aflao in the Volta Region. This is in response to President John Mahama’s major campaign promise to construct a market that will unlock the economic potential in one of West Africa’s most vital trading corridors.
The grant agreement, signed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on July 7, 2025, has been hailed as a landmark achievement aimed at transforming Aflao into a more vibrant commercial hub linking Ghana and Togo. The Minister who signed on behalf of the Government of Ghana described the project as “a pledge fulfilled and a vision realized”.
Tong Defa, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, signed the grant on behalf of the Chinese government.
“On the express instructions of President John Mahama, the funds will be used to construct a modern market in Aflao consistent with his promise during the 2024 electioneering campaign,” Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced.
The $30 million facility mirrors an earlier Chinese grant that funded the construction of the iconic Kotokuraba Market in Cape Coast during the Mills/Mahama era. That project has since become a benchmark for modern market infrastructure and urban renewal in Ghana.
The Aflao market, stakeholders say, is expected to surpass it in both scale and economic impact.
This new partnership further underscores the deepening cooperation between Ghana and China in infrastructure, trade, and economic diplomacy, a relationship that continues to yield tangible outcomes for the Ghanaian people.
Strategically located at the Ghana-Togo border, Aflao has long served as a gateway for cross-border commerce, hosting thousands of traders and travelers daily. However, the town’s aging and congested market infrastructure has limited its full economic potential.
The new modern market is set to be a transformational catalyst. Once completed, it is expected to provide a clean, organized, and secure environment for traders and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, particularly for women and youth.
More importantly, it will seamlessly link with Ho in the Volta Region and Lomé in Togo, strengthening regional integration and ECOWAS trade flows while improving sanitation, mobility, and urban aesthetics in Aflao, attracting more investors and tourists.
The project is also expected to have far-reaching macro and microeconomic benefits. It is also anticipated to significantly boost local revenue generation for the Ketu South Municipal Assembly and serve as a logistics hub for goods moving between Ghana and Togo, enhancing customs efficiency.
