Salt project delights AGI
-As Accra, Tema branches tour Electrochem
From Isaac AIDOO, Ada
The Accra Chairman of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Mr Tsornam Akpeloo, has called on members of the Association and the business community in Ghana to explore the potential of the Songor salt industry, managed by Electrochem Ghana Limited.
During an industrial tour of the Songor Salt factory in Ada in the Greater Accra Region, Mr Akpeloo emphasized the need for a drastic change in Ghana’s approach to industrialization, urging a deliberate effort to harness the country’s natural resources.
The tour comprised members of both Accra and Tema branches of the AGI from different sectors including agrofoods and cosmetics among others.
Mr Akpeloo highlighted the importance of learning from each other and networking to promote industrialization.
He noted that developed nations have achieved success through industrialization, and it is crucial for Ghana to focus on building industries to create jobs for the many unemployed young graduates.
Mr Akpeloo emphasized that government’s role is to enable the environment for job creation, and it is industry that creates jobs.
He encouraged members of the Association to work together to promote industrialization and support each other in the entrepreneurial journey, especially during these challenging economic times.
The Songor Salt factory, a subsidiary of MacDan Group of Companies and member of the AGI, is one of the largest salt factories in Africa, and the tour aimed to showcase best practices and encourage collaboration among industrialists.
Mr Akpeloo lamented the situation where “we find ourselves in a nation that normally are able to talk more than to work and build industries. So we at AGI believe that we want to change the narrative to get all of us, all our citizens of the republic, to focus more on thinking about industrialization and also helping to build industries that can employ the many of our young graduates that are unemployed. Because as you speak, there are many of our graduates that are in the house without jobs and governments do not necessarily create jobs.”
He stressed that “government only enables the environment to create jobs. It is industry that’s expected to create jobs. So it is important to foster and promote industry for the purposes of job creation.”
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Electrochem, Mr Abdul Razak Adam described the salt mining project as an individual’s biggest investment that had the potential to surpass “Ghana’s earnings from cocoa, gold, timber or what have you, this project has the potential to do that.”
He disclosed that over $120 million had already gone into the project and “more would go in as we expand to the east. So now you have a potential to have between two to four million metric tons of salt to be produced in the country. So assuming we achieve the maximum, you are looking at $800 million in annual revenue.”
