As part of the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative, a machinery park will be established in Kumasi under the Make24 module.

This initiative is focused on developing the country’s local manufacturing capacity, beginning with tools and equipment for agriculture and industry.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, 3rd July, Abdul Nasar Alidu, a member of the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, explained that the Make24 module would begin with machinery and fabrication.

“So, under Make24, we start off with machinery and fabrication. The idea under machinery and fabrication is to start producing the things that we need for our farms, the ploughs, the aboboyas, and all of those things,” he said.

Mr Alidu highlighted that Ghana already can produce a wide range of tools but is failing to take advantage of it.

“If you go to the GRATIS website, there is a long list of about 140 things that we can make over here. Unfortunately, GRATIS is almost dead, and we are not making good use of all these technologies.”

As part of efforts to revive this potential, the Secretariat is planning to set up a machinery park in Kumasi, particularly taking advantage of the existing industrial ecosystem in the Suame area.

“So, under machinery and fabrication, we want to get to the stage where we are actually making these. So as part of that, we are looking to set up a machinery park in Kumasi,” he said.

“If you go to Suame, you have all sorts of technology that’s actually over there. So let’s move it forward. Rather than just use it to reassemble things that have been assembled, let’s use it to actually make things.”

Mr Alidu further stressed that developing local capacity to manufacture industrial equipment could help reduce costs and improve competitiveness for Ghanaian factories.

“Now, if we develop this capacity to make things for our farms, our factories because you go to a factory today and they’re setting up, and they tell you a big part of the cost, you know, the reason why they are uncompetitive is because they have to import every single thing into that factory. But there are some that we can make over here.”

He explained that the long-term aim of Make24 is not only to support agriculture and industry but to eventually allow Ghana to produce a wide range of consumer products.

“If we get to the stage where we are making things for the farms and the factories, eventually we will start making the TVs and all the consumer goods that we are using at home.”

“So the idea of Make24 is to develop our manufacturing capacity so that we are making the things that we need. So that is Make24,” he added.