At the declaration ceremony of the Gomoa Central Specialized Economic Zone, the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin made a stirring call for Africans to take full ownership of the continent’s future, insisting that Africa must not merely host global economic opportunity but must be the architect and owner of its destiny.
Speaking with conviction, the Speaker said, “If indeed the future of the world is in Africa, then Africans must make sure they own it.” He cautioned that Africa’s promise as the next frontier for global growth could be lost if the continent’s people do not build the capacity to manage and control its resources, industries, and institutions.
“The future can be in Africa, but other people will come and own it, and you have nothing,” he warned, underscoring the need for Africans to drive the industrial and technological transformations that are shaping the new global order.
Rt. Hon. Bagbin stressed that Africa’s youth must be at the center of this transformation. He noted that industrial and economic projects such as the Gomoa Central Specialized Economic Zone will only deliver sustainable benefits if young Africans are adequately equipped with the technical, managerial, and entrepreneurial skills required to lead in innovation and production.
“We must ensure that our youth are equipped with the needed skills to take charge of initiatives like this. It is through them that we will design the next Africa into a miracle of the world”.
Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin
He envisioned the project as a model of what Africa’s industrial future could look like—an ecosystem of manufacturing plants producing goods for export, renewable energy facilities powering industries, and agro-processing centers transforming agricultural produce into wealth.
“The residential and commercial zones will create modern communities and centers of innovation where the youth will design the next Africa”.
Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin
Gomoa Central Specialized Economic Zone
The Speaker’s remarks came during the unveiling of the Gomoa Central Specialized Economic Zone—a project described by the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Hon. Kwame Asare Obeng, as “Africa’s biggest fully integrated Freezones industrial park,” driven by President John Dramani Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.
According to Hon. Asare Obeng, the zone will cover 31,000 acres of “litigation-free land,” structured to accommodate industries, residential areas, logistics centers, and commercial spaces.
He revealed that the project will also feature a deep-sea industrial port to facilitate large-scale export operations, making it one of Africa’s most ambitious industrial and trade ventures.
“It is designed under the framework of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, attracting investors through the right incentives and regulations to build industries for exports. And it is strategically aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), headquartered right here in Ghana”.
Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin
The project, he emphasized, is a deliberate effort to position Ghana as a regional industrial hub that can serve as a model for the continent’s broader development agenda.
By integrating modern industrial infrastructure with housing and logistics, the Gomoa Central Economic Zone seeks to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that generates jobs, stimulates trade, and attracts long-term investment.
Speaker Bagbin, in his remarks, expressed his satisfaction that the initiative reflects a vision of inclusive and sustainable development.
Calls for Unity and Shared Sense of Purpose
However, he emphasized that achieving the full potential of such projects requires more than just infrastructure—it demands unity, identity, and a shared sense of purpose among Ghanaians and Africans at large. He drew attention to the importance of understanding and embracing Ghana’s collective identity as the foundation for progress.
“Our development must be hinged on recognizing our common identity. We must educate our citizens, especially the youth and followers of political parties, to understand that as Ghanaians, it is our common identity that defines who we are.”
Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin
Speaker Bagbin narrated a historical anecdote to illustrate the diversity and unity that form Ghana’s social fabric. He recounted the story of early Ghanaian families such as the Ribeiro and Sarbah families, whose interactions in the late 19th century exemplified how Ghana emerged as a nation through the convergence of different cultures and heritages.
“These are not things we have to split hair over. We need everybody to work with to develop this nation. No individual, no party, no region can develop it alone.”
Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin
The Speaker’s remarks resonated with a broader message of cooperation and self-determination. He urged Ghanaians to transcend partisan divides and work collectively toward national development.
The declaration of the Gomoa Central Specialized Economic Zone marks another milestone in Ghana’s industrialization agenda under President Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy program, which aims to stimulate round-the-clock production and service delivery to boost productivity and job creation.
For Speaker Bagbin, however, the initiative carries a deeper meaning—it symbolizes Africa’s readiness to take ownership of its future. “This is what we can do to make sure that when the future of the world is in Africa, it is owned by Africans,” he said, urging leaders, entrepreneurs, and the youth to take responsibility for shaping that destiny.
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