The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, has touted the region’s economic and agricultural prospects while inviting Chinese investors to explore business opportunities there.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Ghana-China Business Summit in Accra on Friday, June 27, Mr. Gunu said the Volta Region has 10,200 square kilometres and 28,000 hectares of arable land with strong potential in agriculture, agribusiness, and tourism.
Mr. Gunu noted that the region also hosts the longest man-made lake in Africa and has 22 irrigation dams, with plans to construct two more.
“We have a lot of potential in agriculture and agribusiness. The Volta Lake is good for agriculture, aquaculture and tourism development. When it comes to rice production—and I know China is big on rice—we produce the best rice in the world,” he said.
Mr. Gunu added, “I would love to see you in the Volta Region so we can partner and collaborate to develop the region economically and create jobs. We have acquired about 1,500 acres of land available to any investor who wants to establish factories.”
He said upon assumption of office, he introduced a three-point agenda to guide the region’s development.
“The first is to ensure sustainable peace in the region because without peace, there can be no development.
“The second is to build the capacity of our municipal and district assemblies to deliver on their core mandate, including economic development and job creation,” the minister explained.
He added that the third point is to strengthen collaboration with ministries, departments, agencies, development partners, and investors to help achieve President Mahama’s vision for the region.
The five-day Ghana-China Business Summit was organised by the Office of the President to deepen economic ties between the two countries and explore new opportunities for trade and investment in areas such as manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, and technology.