The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Abdul Razak Baba, has asserted that the future of Ghana’s industrial resilience lies in “locally centred,” investment models.
Leading a high-powered delegation through the Western Region Under the theme “Driving Local Investment: Unlocking Regional Potential,” Baba emphasized that the Western Region is no longer just a source of raw materials but a growing hub for technical excellence and finished “Made-in-Ghana,” exports.
“This regional roadshow serves as the tactical frontline for the Investment Opportunity Mapping Project (IOMP).
“By engaging with diverse local enterprises – from heavy industry like KEDA Ceramics to the high-skill garment sector – the GIPC is working to ensure that the 2026 economic “Reset” is felt in the workshops of Sekondi-Takoradi as much as the boardrooms of Accra”
Abdul Razak Baba, DCEO of GIPC
A pivotal moment of the GIPC’s roadshow occurred during a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsia V.
The revered traditional leader, known for his staunch advocacy of Ghanaian sovereignty, reminded the delegation of the Western Region’s historic role in the nation’s independence struggle. He urged that modern investments must honor this legacy by ensuring that the value created within the region actually stays within the region.
“We must look for investments that prioritise community development alongside profitability. Our history is one of contribution to the soul of Ghana, and our future must be one where investment mobilisation leads to local action.
“We need strategies that do not just extract, but retain value within our borders to empower the youth and the communities that host these industries”
Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area
Fashioning a Technical Revolution
Among the recent standout stops on the GIPC tour was the Dress Up College of Fashion. Founded in 2019, this institution has evolved from a simple apprenticeship setup into an accredited production and training powerhouse, graduating approximately 80 students annually.
For GIPC, the College represents the missing link in Ghana’s garment value chain: a facility that merges informal-sector skill-upgrading with industrial-scale production.
However, the path to scaling remains steep. College Director Eric Akwabeng JNR highlighted the dual pressures of limited physical premises and the “yo-yo” effect of fluctuating market demand.
To counter this, the College is proposing a retail-driven solution: permanent exhibition booths in high-traffic commercial zones to provide a daily outlet for locally produced garments.
Abdul Razak Baba praised the College’s impact, noting that the GIPC is committed to facilitating the funding and partnerships required to upgrade such institutions. A key proposal involves integrating the College with the National Apprenticeship Programme to transform it into a demand-driven technical institution.
This alignment with the government’s 24H+ Programme would enable the garment sector to operate on a continuous cycle, feeding the growing domestic and regional demand under the AfCFTA.
“Dress Up College of Fashion is a blueprint for how we want to scale local businesses. By combining garment production with accredited technical training, they are strengthening the backbone of the local industry.
“GIPC’s role now is to facilitate the necessary partnerships and funding to transform this into a demand-driven powerhouse that attracts both domestic and foreign investment into the Western Region”
Abdul Razak Baba, DCEO of GIPC
As the Western Regional Investment Forum approaches, the message from the GIPC is that the most profitable investments of 2026 will be those that invest in the Ghanaian worker.
By bridging the gap between traditional heritage and modern industrial technicality, the region is positioning itself as the epicenter of a new, self-sustaining economic era.
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