A high-profile investment roadshow organized by the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC) in Takoradi has cast a stark light on the Western Region’s dual reality: a land of immense natural wealth yet to break free from a colonial-era pattern of resource extraction, with stakeholders issuing a powerful call for a new, culturally grounded model of industrial transformation.
The event, part of the nationwide Investment Opportunity Mapping Project (IOMP), convened private-sector players, traditional leaders, and government officials with a central mission: to pivot the regional economy from extraction and export of raw materials to building value-added industries in manufacturing, agro-processing, and other sectors.
In his opening remarks, Board Chair of the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC), Dr. Akwasi Oppong Fosu, outlined the region’s foundational strengths.
He emphasized its strategic place in Ghana’s development, noting it is one of the most resource-endowed regions, with a long history of contributing to national revenue, exports, and industry.
He pointed to its vast mineral, forest, and marine resources; strong agricultural potential; and growing opportunities in tourism and the blue economy, all anchored by the strategic Takoradi Port.
Against this backdrop of potential, he then presented a compelling yet sobering assessment of investment. He revealed that between 1991 and 2025, the Western Region attracted $10.83 billion across 296 projects, accounting for just over 20% of national investment.
“Despite these advantages, much of the region’s economy remains unindustrialized, with value addition still limited, and economic activity largely extractive,” Dr. Fosu stated.
He argued the figures reveal not just success, but unmet potential: “This tells one thing clearly: there is significant headroom for deeper and more transformative investment.”
The roadshow transcended economic data, entering a profound debate on the philosophy of development. The Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area and President of the Western Region House of Chiefs, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, delivered a defining critique, framing true investment as an act of cultural enhancement.
“Any form of investment must basically be an enhancement of my people’s way of life. If an investment does not enhance my culture, then it’s not investment,” he declared. Seated on an ancestral stool, the Chief linked current challenges to historical patterns of exploitation.
“If an investment is simply a continuation of what the British left behind, then we just exist, not just in the colonial framework but the neocolonial framework,” Nana Nketsia V stated, urging a fundamental break from models that see the region solely as a source of raw materials.
His emotional reflection on the region’s endowed resources underscored the frustration: “I weep anytime I reflect on the resource endowment Odomankoma [God] has bestowed on this region.”
Following this, Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson pointed to the need for resolving the long-standing challenge of land acquisition. He revealed that discussions are already underway with traditional leadership to create a more streamlined process for investors.
“Some informal discussions I’ve had with the President of the House of Chiefs had to do with how we can discuss the land acquisition and the challenges therein. And so this year it’s going to be one of the important issues we are going to discuss.
The House of Chiefs and the chieftaincy institution in its entirety will have to look at the issue of land acquisition and of course the establishment of landbanks so that we are sure in advance that we have this portion of land here or there…when investors are coming to the Western Region we can be confident that they will not come and grope around looking for suitable lands to site any plant or industry,” the Minister stated.
The roadshow has set a clear, yet challenging, agenda. The Western Region’s future now hinges on translating this dialogue into tangible projects that move beyond extraction, honour local values, and finally unlock the transformative potential of its vast endowment.
Source: Abraham Mensah
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