The Secretariat of the One District One Factory initiative has indicated that Ekumfi Pineapple and Fruit Juices Company is near completion and expected to begin operations soon.
On Friday, 19 July 2019, the National Coordinator for the One District-One Factory Programme, Gifty Ohene-Konadu, on Friday 19 2019 inspected the project, which is located at Ekumfi Nanabin in the Central Region.
The Ekumfi Pineapple factory was the first to have been launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in August 2017.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP), then in opposition, promised ahead of the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections to establish a factory in each of the 216 districts across the country as part of efforts to reduce unemployment.
The Secretariat said in its statement that: “The National Coordinator of the government’s flagship programme, the One District-One Factory (1D1F), Hon. Gifty Ohene-Konadu (Mrs) on Friday, 19 July 2019 inspected the test-run of the installation of machinery and equipment of Ekumfi Pineapples and Fruit Juices Company at Ekumfi Nanabin.
“The project, which is near completion and expected to start operations soon, was the first greenfield factory launched in 25 August 2017 by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana.
“The National Coordinator stated that the complete installation of the factory’s machinery and equipment is a major milestone.â€
Government's One district, one factory initiative
The 'One district, one factory' is a Government of Ghana policy. It is aimed at creating jobs for Ghanaians through the setting up of factories and industries which will, in turn, move the country towards greater industrialization.
The policy was first introduced to Ghanaians in 2016 as part of the manifesto of the New Patriotic Party of Ghana. The programme received a boost on January 13, 2018, with the commissioning of Twyford Ceramics factory by President Akufo-Addo at Shama District in the Western region.
The ceramics factory which is into the production and distribution of tiles is estimated at the cost of $77.26 million and will operate at a designed production capacity of 14.4 million square meters per year with annual sales projected to be $82.8 million.