Government has committed US$1 billion towards the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam as part of efforts to boost agricultural production, improve food security and expand agro-industrial activities.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced the investment while presenting the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
He said the project would support large-scale vegetable production, aquaculture, flood protection and water security, particularly across the White Volta corridor.
According to the Minister, the dam will provide irrigation for more than 25,000 hectares of land to support vegetable production, while its reservoir will accommodate 1,000 fish cages for aquaculture.
The project is also expected to generate 70 megawatts of hydropower to support agro-industrial activities within and around the Pwalugu enclave.
Dr Forson said the electricity generated would power processing factories, irrigation systems, packhouses and cold storage facilities, enabling businesses to add value to agricultural produce closer to production centres.
“Mr Speaker, to achieve vegetable self-sufficiency, we will invest US$1 billion to build the Pwalugu Multi-purpose Dam,” he told Parliament.
He added that the project would support year-round vegetable production, improve water security and provide flood protection, while strengthening agribusiness activities across the White Volta corridor.
On the implementation timeline, the Finance Minister said the first phase of the project was expected to be ready by early 2029, with full completion scheduled for December 2030.
“The first phase of the Pwalugu Multi-purpose Dam will be ready by early 2029, with full completion by December 2030,” he stated.
The project will also be complemented by serviced vegetable enclaves in other regions, water-harvesting systems and protected cultivation as part of government’s broader strategy to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetable production.
