President John Dramani Mahama has described Northshore Apparel as the beginning of efforts to restore northern Ghana to its former industrial glory.
Speaking at the opening of Northshore Apparel at Savelugu in the Northern Region, he said the region once had several industries that provided employment and supported economic activity but gradually declined due to a number of challenges.
President Mahama recalled that northern Ghana previously had an integrated textile and agricultural value chain, with cotton farmers supplying raw materials to textile companies that processed them into products for the local market.
He said the region also had several processing plants producing products such as shea butter, which created employment opportunities for young people.
According to him, inadequate power supply, weak value chains and poor transport infrastructure contributed significantly to 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 factors that previously discouraged investors from establishing businesses in northern Ghana were gradually being addressed.
He cited improved electricity supply, better road networks, reliable air transport, available land and the region’s potential for solar power as some of the advantages that could attract more investors.
He said the government would continue to support industrial projects that create jobs for young people and expand Ghana’s export capacity.
President Mahama described Northshore as the anchor tenant of what is expected to become a major industrial hub in northern Ghana.
He said the hub, when fully developed, could employ at least 30,000 young people, helping to create opportunities in the north and reduce the pressure that drives young people to migrate to the southern parts of the country.