By Issah Olegor
The inauguration of the Northshore Apparel facility Savelugu in the Northern region by President John Dramani Mahama last week has renewed debate over the origins of the project, with claims that the factory forms part of the government’s much-publicised 24-hour economy initiative coming under scrutiny.
While the facility is expected to operate around the clock and has been presented as a major boost to industrialisation and employment in the north, questions have emerged over whether the current administration or the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat played any role in its establishment.
Available details indicate that the project predates the Mahama administration’s 24-hour economy programme.
The sod-cutting ceremony for the facility was held on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, under the previous government’s One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative, with a stated target of completing construction within two years.
The project is described as a wholly Ghanaian-owned private venture founded by its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Alhaji Nurudeen Mohammed, with the 1D1F initiative providing the policy framework through which the investment was developed. The company is believed to have received support from Ghana Exim bank.
The project also received support from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) PLC, which served as one of its primary commercial credit and banking providers.
The facility specialises in knitted and woven garments with a focus on T-shirts, polos, fleece hoodies, children’s wear, sportswear, underwear, leggings and trousers.
According to the account, the current government and the 24-
Hour Economy Secretariat were not involved in establishing or constructing the facility.
Their involvement, as presented, was limited to accompanying President Mahama to the inauguration ceremony after the factory had already been developed under the earlier 1D1F framework.
The distinction has consequently triggered criticism from those who argue that the facility should not be portrayed as a product of the 24-hour economy policy.
The Northshore Apparel facility is nevertheless emerging as a significant industrial investment in the northern part of the country. It currently employs more than 2,300 local workers, with plans to expand operations and create more than 10,000 direct jobs when the development is completed.
Its planned 24-hour operational model is expected to increase production capacity, create additional employment opportunities and strengthen the apparel manufacturing industry.
The controversy, therefore, is less about the factory’s potential economic impact than about the political ownership of the achievement.
Supporters of the previous administration contend that the project represents the practical outcome of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration’s 1D1F policy, arguing that the February 2024 sod-cutting ceremony and subsequent development establish its origins.
They say the later inauguration by President Mahama should not be interpreted as evidence that his administration established the facility or financed its construction.
