President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to transform the land to be reclaimed from the Agbogloshie waste site into an industrial park, including a major textile factory.
According to the President, the planned development forms part of the proposed Agbogloshie Urban Renewal Project, which will follow the evacuation of the waste heaps from the area.
Speaking during the commissioning of the exercise to evacuate waste from Agbogloshie to the Adepa Engineered Landfill Sites near Nsawam in the Eastern Region, President Mahama said the broader objective was to remove a longstanding public health hazard and create conditions for lasting improvements in the area.
“When we have cleared this garbage, the land that will be reclaimed and recovered is going to be an Industrial Park,” he said.
President Mahama said the government also intends to establish a major textile factory on the reclaimed land.
“We intend to establish a major textile factory here so that they can provide employment to our young people,” he added.
The President said the waste evacuation exercise therefore forms part of a broader programme to transform the area, beyond simply removing the accumulated waste.
The evacuation of the waste is expected to take 90 days, with a drone-based AI estimate putting the volume of garbage to be moved at approximately one million tonnes.
The exercise is being led by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces and the District Road Improvement Project (DRIP).
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The Ministry of Finance is providing funding, with additional support from the District Assemblies Common Fund.
President Mahama said the exercise would bring an end to the open dumping and burning of waste in the area, which he said had endangered lives and damaged the surrounding environment.
The evacuated waste is to be transported to the Adepa Engineered Landfill Sites for controlled disposal, compaction and covering with appropriate environmental safeguards.
The President urged residents of Old Fadama and Agbogloshie to cooperate with the military personnel, DRIP operators and assembly teams during the exercise, which he said was being undertaken for their health, dignity and the future of their children.
