Sylvester Adinam Mensah is the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana EXIM Bank
A Volta Economic Forum and Retreat for all Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) has identified the Volta Region as a corridor to Togo and placed Ghana in a strategic location in West African trade, a critical driver of Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy.
The forum, held at Tegbi in the Anloga District, was to build the capacity of MDCEs in attracting investors and unlocking economic opportunities for accelerated development.
The retreat, held on Thursday, October 2, 2025, was on the theme: “Harnessing the Volta Economic Corridor Potentials for the 24-Hour Economic Policy Take-off.”
Mr Sylvester Adinam Mensah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana EXIM Bank, who was the Special Guest, described the theme as “visionary and timely.”
He outlined several areas of potential such as agriculture and agro-processing – Volta as a food basket with opportunities in cassava, rice, maize, yam, fruits, and vegetables; and cross-border trade and logistics.
Other areas are leveraging proximity to Togo, Benin, and Nigeria under AfCFTA; industrial parks and manufacturing – availability of land and closeness to Tema Port make Volta ideal for industrial growth; tourism and blue economy – coastline, culture, and heritage sites for tourism and hospitality; and energy – renewable resources such as hydro, solar, and wind to power SMEs and industries.
Mr Mensah said EXIM Bank stood ready to partner with MDCEs and the private sector by financing agro-based industries, supporting an apparel industrial park in the region, and investing in trade-enabling infrastructure like warehouses and cold-storage facilities.
“The Volta Economic Corridor should not remain an abstract concept. It must translate into rice mills in Hohoe, Afife, cassava processing plants in Adaklu, logistics hubs in Aflao, beach resorts in Tegbi, and renewable energy farms across the region,” he said.
Mr James Gunu, the Volta Regional Minister, described the retreat as a turning point for resetting Ghana’s economy through local development and job creation.
He encouraged districts to identify unique potentials in tourism, agriculture, and aquaculture to drive transformation.
Drawing comparisons with Switzerland, he said the Volta Region could also maximise its rivers, lakes, and mountains for tourism, aquaculture, irrigation, and transport.
He stressed the need to develop the Volta Lake beyond hydropower into an anchor for agriculture, transport, and tourism.
“Every district in the Volta Region has agricultural and tourism potential. What remains is how we add value, form partnerships, and attract investment to move the region forward,” Mr Gunu stated.
Mr Charles Nornoo, Agriculture Lead at the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, said reducing Ghana’s food import bill of over USD 3 billion annually required bold action.
He identified the Anloga area as a potential site for tomato processing factories and emphasised branding Volta produce as “premium food” since the region remains untainted by illegal mining.
Dr Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, Volta Representative on the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and retreat coordinator, explained that the retreat aimed to prepare MDCEs to effectively engage with investors ahead of the maiden Volta Economic Forum scheduled for October 31 in the region.
“Politics is different from business. We are equipping our leaders with skills to collaborate with the private sector, promote investment, and negotiate bankable projects for their districts,” he noted.
Traditional leaders also pledged their support.
Torgbui James Ocloo V, Chief of Keta, speaking on behalf of Torgbui Agbesi Awusu II, the Awadada of Anlo, commended the initiative and urged MDCEs to focus on youth employment and educational support.
All 18 MDCEs in the Volta Region participated and pledged to apply the knowledge gained to attract investment and harness economic potential in their respective districts.
