President John Dramani Mahama has said Northshore Apparel represents the start of a drive to bring back the industrial vibrance northern Ghana once enjoyed.
Speaking at the commissioning of Northshore Apparel at Savelugu in the Northern Region, he noted that the area used to host a number of factories that offered jobs and boosted economic activities but later collapsed due to various challenges.
President Mahama recounted that northern Ghana previously had a strong textile and agricultural value chain, where cotton farmers provided raw materials to textile firms that processed them into finished goods for the domestic market.
He said the region also had several processing factories producing commodities such as shea butter, which created job opportunities for the youth. He explained that poor electricity supply, weak value chains and poor transport infrastructure played a major role in the 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.
President Mahama said the constraints that previously deterred investors from setting up businesses in northern Ghana were gradually being resolved.
He mentioned improved power supply, better road networks, dependable air transport, availability of land and the region’s potential for solar energy as some of the factors that could draw more investors.
He said government would continue to back industrial projects that generate employment for young people and increase Ghana’s export potential.
President Mahama described Northshore as the anchor tenant of what is expected to grow into a major industrial enclave in northern Ghana.
He said the enclave, when fully developed, could provide jobs for at least 30,000 young people, helping to create opportunities in the north and ease the pressure that pushes many youth to move to the south in search of work.
