Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, has appealed to investors to help position the Volta regional capital Ho as a tech hub.
He said the region’s leaders planned to fully leverage the strategic location of the transnational road, air and rail infrastructure to develop the city into an industrial centre.
He said the move would require the support of countries such as India.
Togbe Afede made the call when the India Commissioner, who was on a weeklong tour of the Volta Region, paid a courtesy call on him.
He asked investors to consider the city as a Tech Hub that could train IT, technicians, across the world and to help provide the needed structures, including technical schools to “train people on new emerging areas and vocation development to change our economy.”
The Agbogbomefia appealed for more Indian scholarships, particularly in the area of ICT, to strengthen the service sector.
He said India ranked high among Ghana’s partners and would be instrumental in exploiting the Region’s potentials for mutual benefit.
“I am very happy that the Government has the Volta Region in its railway development plan. The railway project that starts from Tema to Akosombo; continues through Ho to the Northern parts of Ghana and to Burkina Faso, which means that business operations in the Volta Region have become easy. Access to the port of Tema is a lot easier.
“Even more interesting is the fact that there is a plan to develop our local port in Keta, and there are also plans to establish a railway line between that Port and Ho. So very soon we have railways from both Accra to Ho, Keta to Ho that can allow transit of goods through the Volta region all the way up north to Burkina Faso.
“So we become a very important transport centre as well; with the railways meeting here and continuing to the north. That’s very phenomenal. And also there are plans to take advantage of the facility to build Ho into an industrial centre.
“This is where we will need a lot of our friends from India to come in so we can work together for mutual benefit,” Togbe Afede stated, adding that the opening of the Ho Airport would give further impetus to the Region’s development.
The Agbogbomefia appealed to India to help develop the tourism industry and touted the people of the Volta Region as highly educated, hardworking, and hospitable individuals befitting a world-class destination.
Mr Sugandh Rajaram, the India High commissioner, said India was willing to share its rural development strategy with Ghana in the spirit of cooperation.
He said India would expand its development support to Ghana, which would provide more capacity building scholarships for Ghanaians to expand their scope in ICT, health, and other areas of specialization.
Mr Rajaram said India was already investing “very successfully” in the Volta Region and would like to expand the presence of its farm businesses.
He said India had also developed lots of expertise in developing tourism infrastructure in some of the most challenging situations, and expressed willingness to support the industry.
The High Commissioner as part of the visit met the Volta Regional Minister, members of the Indian business community in the Region, members of the Volta Journalists Association, and also some development groups, including the Volta Development Forum.
He also toured some major industries and production enclaves in the Region, and also Universities and health facilities.