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President John Dramani Mahama has described the Northshore Apparel project as a significant first step towards reviving northern Ghana’s industrial sector and restoring the region’s former economic strength.
Speaking at the opening of Northshore Apparel at Savelugu in the Northern Region, President Mahama said the area once had a vibrant industrial base that provided jobs and supported local economic activity before a combination of challenges led to its decline.
He recalled that northern Ghana previously operated an integrated textile and agricultural value chain, with cotton farmers producing raw materials for textile manufacturers, who processed them into finished products for the domestic market.
The President also noted that the region was home to several processing facilities, including plants producing shea butter, which provided employment and economic opportunities for young people.
However, he said inadequate electricity supply, weak production linkages and poor transportation infrastructure contributed to the gradual collapse of industries in the north.
“The glorious past of northern industry declined. Today I have a pleasant feeling in my heart because I believe that we’ve planted the first seed that will restore the north to its glorious industrial past and that’s what North Shore is just about doing,” he said.
Improved infrastructure to attract investors
President Mahama said several of the challenges that previously made northern Ghana less attractive to investors were now being addressed.
He pointed to improvements in electricity supply, road infrastructure and air transport, as well as the availability of land and the region’s potential for solar energy, as factors that could support renewed industrial investment.
According to him, the government will continue to support projects capable of creating employment for young people, strengthening local production and increasing Ghana’s export capacity.
The President described Northshore Apparel as the anchor tenant of a larger industrial hub expected to emerge in northern Ghana.
He said the hub, when fully developed, could create employment for at least 30,000 young people.
Beyond job creation, he said the expansion of industrial activity would provide greater economic opportunities for residents of the north and help reduce the pressure driving young people to migrate to the southern parts of the country.
President Mahama expressed optimism that the Northshore project would pave the way for further industrial investments and contribute to restoring northern Ghana’s position as an important centre of manufacturing and agro-processing.
