- as Abossey Okai spare parts centre to be relocated there
Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey and other stakeholders are championing efforts toward establishing the envisaged integrated West Africa Automotive Hub at Afienya to offer competitive leverage for Accra and the country as a whole.
The hub is set to host all automotive business activities, in that there will be restrictions on the common practice wherein people sell vehicles in front of their houses.
The regional minister, in a remark noted, that as his outfit prepares to move the Abossey Okai automotive zone that specialises primarily in the sales of spare-parts to Afienya, plans are in line to establish the automotive village so as to give them a better space of business.
This is in line with efforts to create a futuristic development masterplan that seeks to achieve land-use efficiency and enhance business within the automotive space.
It will also help to decongest Tema Habour and aid the security agencies in tracking stolen automobiles.
This was disclosed at the Greater Accra investment opportunities conference, dubbed ‘The New Face of Greater Accra: Collaborative Cities and Private Sector to Achieve Accelerated Development’.
The conference saw the Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts Assemblies, partnering with the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to engage, deliberate and brainstorm on a strategic move to advance the development of Accra.
It forms part of the ‘Let Us Make Greater Accra Work Again’ campaign, which aims at among other things decongesting Accra into a clean and modern city.
Given the AGI and other private bodies’ role in bringing investors onboard, Mr. Quartey reiterated that the private sector is an engine for growth and its role is required, and therefore cannot be underestimated.
AGI assures support
On the other hand, the AGI pledged its commitment to support the initiative and other related activities that will position the country’s capital for development.
President of the Association, Humphrey Kwesi Ayim-Darke, lauded the regional minister’s efforts, urging him not to let political influence distract his vision for the region.
“The AGI acknowledges government’s effort to attract and retain investment in Ghana, and AGI and the private sector seek to affirm support for the noble cause championed by the minister. Seeing a great vision of the regional minister, there is a need to partner to create a lot of investment opportunities for businesses in the automobile sector,” he said.
Education
The automotive village will offer a connection between industry and training, as there will be a collaboration with the Council for Technical and Vocational Educational Training, Accra Technical University and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to develop relevant automotive curricula aimed at strengthening the linkage.
The Hub
The West Africa Automotive Hub masterplan envisions, among others, developing a 2,500-acre land into a multi-purpose zone to promote the automotive industry and allied businesses.
It seeks to provide direct employment to 40,000 artisans and business people, and indirectly to another 30,000 persons in the support sectors.
