President John Dramani Mahama has launched the Tema Integrated Industrial Park (TIIP), describing it as a major step towards transforming Ghana into a leading manufacturing and export hub in West Africa.
Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony in Tema, President Mahama said the project marks the beginning of a new chapter in Ghana’s economic transformation, aimed at creating jobs, increasing exports and adding value to the country’s natural resources.
He said the industrial park forms part of the government’s 24-hour economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, which seeks to shift Ghana’s economy from one driven by imports and consumption to one powered by production, manufacturing and exports.
“This ceremony marks the practical implementation of a vision to transform Ghana from a predominantly raw materials exporting economy into a competitive industrial nation that creates value, manufactures high-quality products, and serves markets across Africa and beyond,” he said.
The President stressed that Ghana can no longer depend on exporting raw materials while importing finished goods.
“For decades, our economy has continued to export enormous quantities of raw materials while importing finished products made elsewhere. Every shipment of unprocessed raw materials represents jobs that we have exported to other countries, technology that we have forgone, industrial opportunities that we have lost, and national wealth that has been transferred elsewhere,” he stated.
President Mahama described industrialisation as an economic necessity, saying the new industrial park would strengthen Ghana’s manufacturing sector and improve the country’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He explained that the 120-hectare facility, located within the Tema Heavy Industrial Area near the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), will support downstream aluminium processing, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing and export-oriented production.
According to him, the project will also help Ghana build a complete aluminium value chain by processing more of its natural resources locally instead of exporting them in their raw state.
“When completed, it is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, stimulate significant private investment, expand our export base, and strengthen Ghana’s position as an industrial gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area,” he said.
The President also announced plans to redevelop the old Tema Industrial Area, describing its current condition as unacceptable.
“I said, have you asked Arise to come and help you with that old industrial park? … Let them come and help us so that we can have a proper industrial park that is a glory to the man whose vision created Tema, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah,” he said.
President Mahama commended Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), government agencies and development partners for working together to bring the project to fruition, expressing confidence that the partnership would accelerate Ghana’s industrial growth and create opportunities for future generations.
