The Western Regional Coordinating Council has re-launched its Investment and Business Centre to attract investors, strengthen collaboration, and ensure that the region’s abundant natural resources directly benefit its people.
The move marks a renewed effort to transform the Western Region’s wealth in cocoa, gold, and oil into sustainable local development and job creation.
Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson, speaking at the launch in Sekondi-Takoradi, said the centre represents a bold new chapter in the region’s development journey. He noted that while the Western Region contributes significantly to Ghana’s economy, its communities have long remained on the margins of national growth.
“The core mission of this centre is to coordinate our natural resources and ensure businesses flourish for the benefit of our people. It is for this reason that we are launching it today. The journey has just begun, and I am confident that we will soon look back and see the significant progress the Western Region has made.
“We have lamented for far too long. Now is the time to take the bull by the horns to take control of our own destiny and ensure this region finally receives the attention and benefits its people rightfully deserve”
Joseph Nelson, Western Regional Minister
The Western Region, with a population of over two million – representing about 6.7% of Ghana’s total – remains one of the country’s richest yet least locally transformed economies. Despite its contributions in agriculture, mining, and energy, development outcomes have not matched the scale of its resource base.
The newly launched centre aims to reverse this trend by serving as a hub for investment coordination, policy dialogue, and business facilitation.
According to the Western Regional Coordinating Council, the centre will streamline communication among key state agencies, the private sector, and local authorities to improve investor confidence and accelerate development projects.
To ensure inclusiveness and effective governance, a fifteen-member board has been inaugurated under the chairmanship of Minister Joseph Nelson. The board draws representatives from the “agricultural and tourism sectors, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, the Free Zones Authority, and the Western Regional House of Chiefs,” among others.
Chiefs Back Initiative
President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, commended the initiative and said the establishment of the centre was long overdue. He underscored the paradox of the Western Region’s vast resource endowment and its persistent underdevelopment.
“We must find a way to participate in the utilization of the resources God has naturally endowed us with. This centre is the vehicle we will use to uplift the people of the region and ensure they are an integral part of this process”
Nana Kobina Nketsia V, President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs
He stressed the importance of community involvement in every investment decision, warning that local exclusion undermines sustainable development and investor trust.
“Collectively, we must ensure two things: first, that no one invests in the Western Region without our involvement, and second, that our people are central to every investment. This local partnership provides a fundamental sense of security for any investor, signaling that the community supports their venture”
Nana Kobina Nketsia V, President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs
He added that investment must not be treated as charity but as a partnership built on fairness and mutual benefit. “We need to tap into this wealth so that it can be shared to benefit our people,” he said.
The Western Region Investment and Business Centre is expected to position the region as a competitive investment destination while ensuring that locals play a central role in every project. The council says the centre will also prioritize youth employment, infrastructure development, and sustainable management of natural resources.
Officials believe that the initiative, backed by the regional leadership and traditional authorities, will mark a turning point in ensuring that the Western Region’s resource wealth translates into tangible progress for its people under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.
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