Invest in Oti Region - Minister urges investors
The Oti Regional Minister, Joshua Gmayenaam Makubu, has called on local and foreign investors to invest in the region to help speed up its development.
He said the region sat on a golden pot of immense and untapped investment opportunities and potential which could be explored for economic development.
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Speaking at the Ministry of Information’s press briefing on the state of Oti, Mr Makubu said the Oti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) would provide an enabling environment for investors to maximise their investments in the region.
Development
He explained that the region, which was one of the six new administrative regions created in 2019 following a referendum conducted in certain parts of the country in December 2018, required massive infrastructural development, especially roads, to help speed up its growth.
He said roads opened up more areas and stimulated economic and social development, hence the need to invest in the region's road networks.
“Road networks are a key element for economic growth and it is essential to project a strategic and sustained expansion and adequate maintenance of these networks to guarantee quality connections among the different parts of the geographic territory,” he said.
In addition, he said, the provision of employment, social, health and educational services was essential for the region's fight against poverty.
Progress
On governance and administration, the regional minister said the RCC had started the construction of its own administration block at Dambai, with senior staff bungalows to accommodate key staff.
He said there were also a number of infrastructural developments under construction that would help open up the region for investment.
Those included regional offices and associated buildings for the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana Education Service, the Ghana Police Service, the Judicial Service, the Department of Feeder Roads, among others, he added.
Social development
Touching on social development, Mr Makubu said there had been significant improvement in the region's educational sector due to the government's sound educational policies, including the free senior high school initiative, which had contributed to higher enrolment of students in second-cycle institutions in the region.
“The implementation of educational policies, including the free SHS, has resulted in activities needed to improve on the existing educational system, such as staffing and infrastructure to bridge the deficit,” he said.
He said the RCC had also embarked on a number of activities aimed at improving education in the region to support the efforts of the government.
“Enrolment figures have increased drastically from 15,285 in 2016 to 25,483 in 2022, representing a 66.72 per cent change, thereby bridging the accessibility gap at the SHS level,” he said.
Natural resources
Mr Makubu said the Oti Region was endowed with natural resources, including the recently discovered iron ore, which had the potential to open up the region for extensive development.
He said the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA), which led the discovery, had established that the discovered iron ore was 55.22 weight per cent and of higher grade.
“The government is determined to provide value addition for this raw commodity and ensure that the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development works closely with the GGSA and the communities to ensure that the full value chain is retained in the region and the country,” he said.