Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare says the Tema Integrated Industrial Park (TIIP) is expected to create more than 4,000 direct jobs while driving Ghana’s industrialisation agenda through increased local manufacturing, import substitution and export growth.
The project is being developed by TDC Ghana Limited, the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) and Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms under the patronage of President John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Tema Integrated Industrial Park, the minister described the facility as a major milestone in Ghana’s ambition to become a leading manufacturing and logistics hub in West Africa.
She said the 83.5-hectare industrial park is located about seven kilometres from the Tema Port and has been developed as an execution-ready industrial zone within the wider 2,000-hectare Tema industrial enclave.
According to the minister, the park offers litigation-free, state-backed land titles, ready access to utilities and confirmed investor interest, making it an attractive destination for manufacturers looking to establish operations in Ghana.
She noted that land disputes have long discouraged industrial investment in the country and said the availability of litigation-free land at the industrial park removes one of the biggest barriers to business expansion.
“As a lawyer with 22 years at the bar, I know what litigated land means. It is a strike to learn that land litigation is the bane of industry, so anywhere we have unlitigated land is a plus for industry,” she said.
Ofosu-Adjare observed that although the Tema and Takoradi ports account for about 85 per cent of Ghana’s trade, the country continues to export mainly raw and semi-processed materials while importing large volumes of finished goods.
She disclosed that Ghana imported more than US$2 billion worth of machinery, over US$1.5 billion in chemicals, nearly US$875 million in automotive components and more than US$350 million in pharmaceuticals in 2023 alone.
According to her, these figures highlight the enormous opportunity for local manufacturers to produce goods that are currently imported, with the Tema Integrated Industrial Park designed to promote value addition and export-oriented manufacturing.
The minister added that beyond creating jobs, the industrial park will strengthen Ghana’s participation in regional trade by leveraging the country’s strategic location and the presence of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
She further disclosed that Cabinet has approved four manufacturing policies to guide the long-term development of key sectors of the economy. These include the Ghana Textiles and Garment Manufacturing Policy, the Ghana Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Policy, the Automotive Component Manufacturing Policy and the National Agribusiness Policy for 2026–2036.
According to Ofosu-Adjare, the policies will provide investors with clear regulatory guidance, sector development plans and greater investment certainty, while encouraging textile manufacturers, pharmaceutical firms, automotive component producers and agro-processing companies to establish operations at the industrial park.
She also announced that the government is reforming the Ghana Free Zones Authority Act into a modern Special Economic Zone framework to better support integrated industrial parks across the country.
The proposed framework, she explained, will introduce improved governance, sector-specific incentives and a more competitive regulatory environment aimed at attracting both local and foreign investment.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working with investors and development partners to ensure the successful operation of the Tema Integrated Industrial Park, expressing confidence that it will become a catalyst for industrial growth, technology transfer, employment creation and increased export earnings.
