The OLAM Agri Pasta Manufacturing Facility has been commissioned at Kpone-Tema, representing another step towards reducing Ghana’s dependence on imported processed food products.
The facility addresses concerns affecting every Ghanaian household regarding food production, sustainable job generation, and developing an economy that increasingly depends on local production rather than imports.
For many years Ghana has had the raw materials, markets, and human capacity to produce much of what the country consumes, yet too often value is added elsewhere while Ghana imports the finished product at substantially higher cost.
President John Dramani Mahama, who commissioned the facility on Thursday at Kpone-Tema, noted that it represents a conscious shift moving from reliance to production and from missed opportunities to targeted industrial growth.
He disclosed that OLAM Agri has been operating in Ghana for 32 years, broadening its activities from simple commodity trading to agro-processing and food manufacturing.
The President stated that the company currently employs over 4,500 Ghanaians directly and indirectly, reflecting its long-term commitment to partnership with the Ghanaian economy.
President Mahama explained that the facility introduces modern processing capacity, creates jobs along the supply chain, and decreases dependence on imported pasta products while guaranteeing that greater value stays within the Ghanaian economy.
He disclosed that earlier in the week, scientists from the Crops Research Institute under CSIR visited him with a breakthrough in wheat production, having developed a variety that can grow locally yielding 5-6 tons per hectare.
The President stated that he informed OLAM’s co-founder to contact CSIR to explore integrating wheat production into the pasta processing plant’s value chain.
President Mahama announced that the factory will operate a shift system and qualifies under the 24-hour economy initiative, with OLAM being among the first industries to register and receive incentives including duty-free equipment imports.
He noted that Ghana is the second biggest pasta consumer in Africa because of waakye, which always goes with pasta or talia, questioning Togo’s top ranking since most pasta recorded there actually comes across the Aflao border into Ghana.
The President stated that with Ghana now having its own pasta factory, cheap imported smuggled pasta must be prevented from entering through the eastern border.
He disclosed that government recently banned vegetable cooking oil imports after 18 trucks were found smuggling the product, adding rice, tomato puree, and mackerel to the list, and will direct the Finance Minister to add pasta.
President Mahama stated that the facility demonstrates what can be achieved when private investment aligns with national development priorities, building confidence among entrepreneurs, farmers, and investors.
He commended OLAM Agri-Ghana management and staff for the investment and thanked traditional authorities for their support to industries in the Kpong area.
The President revealed that the same morning he commissioned a calcined clay cement plant before commissioning the pasta plant in the afternoon.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
