The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) has concluded its high-stakes Western North Regional Investment Roadshow, identifying high-potential regional enterprises and marking a decisive point in the state’s strategy to decentralize industrial growth.
Led by Deputy CEO Abdul Razak Baba and Mr. Kwame Kesse-Agyepong, Deputy Director and Head of Investment Promotion, the delegation moved through the region’s industrial heartlands to execute the Investment Opportunity Mapping Project (IOMP) for enterprises that have outgrown their local footprints – like it recently did in the Ashanti Region.
By moving the search for industrial champions away from the traditional hubs of Accra and Tema, the GIPC is actively pursuing a mandate for Inclusive Economic Growth for businesses ready to be positioned as “bankable” entities for global and domestic investors.
“The roadshow served as a granular audit of the Western North’s industrial readiness, focusing on two critical sectors: the burgeoning local manufacturing space in Bibiani and the multi-billion-dollar bauxite value chain in Awaso.
“For the GIPC, these visits represented the handshake between local entrepreneurial grit and the institutional capital required to trigger a regional industrial explosion”
Ghana Investment Promotion Centre
One of the most significant stops on the roadshow was the visit to the PM Group of Companies in Bibiani – a fast-growing local enterprise that has become a case study in diversification, with operations spanning from industrial-scale bakery production and bottled water to construction and hospitality.
The delegation’s tour of the facilities revealed a sophisticated, high-volume operation that is already acting as a major economic anchor for the district. The company’s bakery alone has reached a production capacity of 12,000 to 15,000 loaves daily, proving that the demand for standardized, quality products in regional markets is massive.
During discussions with the GIPC team, Mr. Patrick Agyemang, Marketing Manager for PM Group, laid out a bold $25 million expansion roadmap. This capital injection is intended to support the broadening of operations, the launch of new product lines, and an ambitious entry into the multimedia space.
For the GIPC, the PM Group represents the exact kind of “fast-growing local enterprise,” that the 24-Hour Economy aims to support – businesses that are ready to scale their shifts and distribution networks if the right investment architecture is in place.
The Bauxite Value Chain
The roadshow also took the delegation to the Ghana Bauxite Company (GBC) in Awaso, where the focus shifted from SME scaling to large-scale industrial value addition. Under the leadership of Deputy CEO Abdul Razak Baba, the GIPC team explored the ongoing modernization of GBC’s mining technology and its critical role in the national bauxite-to-aluminum strategy.
The visit underscored a non-negotiable directive of the Industrialization pillar: Ghana must move beyond the extraction of raw bauxite and move toward domestic refining and smelting.
The GBC highlighted its recent heavy investments in modern mining technology, which has not only improved efficiency but also strengthened the local workforce through specialized skills development.
“With significant bauxite deposits and strong prospects for value addition, the Western North Region continues to position itself as an attractive destination for investment in Ghana’s bauxite and aluminium industry”
Ghana Investment Promotion Centre
The GIPC’s presence at the mine sent a strong signal to potential investors that the Western North is no longer just a source of raw materials but an “attractive destination,” for the entire aluminum value chain. By mapping these high-value opportunities, the GIPC is ensuring that the region’s natural wealth translates into industrial jobs and community-led development initiatives.
De-Risking the Regions
The Centre reiterated that the Investment Opportunity Mapping Project (IOMP) is the answer to the “information gap,” that often prevents capital from reaching regional businesses. Conducting these site visits and verifying the growth trajectories of companies like PM Group effectively “de-risks” these enterprises for foreign and domestic investors.
This proactive approach aligns with the Accelerated Export Development strategy, especially since many of the companies mapped during the Western North Roadshow are being prepared not just for local dominance, but for regional export under the AfCFTA framework.
The GIPC highlighted that it is actively looking for businesses that can produce the quality and volume required to compete in the West African sub-region and the Western North, with its proximity to border corridors and its rich resource base, is perfectly positioned to become an export powerhouse.
As the Western North Roadshow concluded, the data gathered by the GIPC team is being integrated into a national investment prospectus. The focus now shifts from mapping to matchmaking.
The Deputy CEO, Abdul Razak Baba, noted that the Centre intends to use its global network to connect the PM Group and the bauxite value chain opportunities in Awaso with long-term strategic partners.
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