A traditional leader has been appointed by the Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organization (SMIDO) to spearhead negotiations with key stakeholders for speedy takeoff of a project to transform the artisanal cluster. Nana Owusu Peasa II, Chief of Adubinsokese, would lead efforts at mobilizing political and traditional leadership support for the adoption of the SMIDO-Otumfuo Industrial Center project. He is the custodian of the one thousand acre land in the Afigya-Kwabre District of Ashanti earmarked for the new industrial complex to accommodate the artisans. The project has the potential to benefit from a multi-donor funding led by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), said a statement issued by SMIDO. “Suame Magazine is just about one month away from attractive funding from DANIDA for technical support to transform Suame Magazine into a globally competitive industrial technology complex”, it said. He however says the Organization must first meet some commitments from the central government and local authorities to facilitate the commencement of the project. The trend of Foreign Direct Investment inflows into Ghana for the past four decades shows that Ashanti region is not within the map of FDI attraction zone. Acting SMIDO President, Sarpong Boateng has urged political, economic and traditional leaders in Ashanti and other parts of the country to rise to the challenge and adopt the industrial complex project “as the region’s investment gateway project for economic transformation to sustain and create employment for the huge mass of artisans in the region”.