By: Sarah Baafi
President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to redevelop the former Agbogbloshie landfill site into a textile manufacturing facility as part of a broader plan to create jobs and put the land to productive use.
According to President Mahama, the removal of the waste from the site is expected to free up about 16 acres of land, which will subsequently be used for the development of the textile factory.
Speaking during an engagement with the Ghanaian community in New York, President Mahama said the government intends to clear the garbage from the site within 90 days.
“The Agbogbloshie landfill site will free up about 16 acres of land. In 90 days, we will move all that garbage,” he said.
The President further disclosed that the 2027 Budget will make provisions for the establishment of three textile factories, with one of the facilities expected to be located on the former Agbogbloshie landfill site.
He said the project will also target thousands of Kayayei who currently sell in the area, with plans to retrain and employ them at the proposed textile factory.
“One of those textile factories is going to be situated on that former Agbogbloshie bola site,” President Mahama said.
“All the Kayayei who sell in that area, thousands of them, we are going to retrain and employ them in that textile factory,” he added.
The announcement forms part of plans to convert the former landfill site into a productive facility while creating employment opportunities for people who currently make a living around the area.
President Mahama’s proposal also links the redevelopment of the site with skills development, as the Kayayei are expected to undergo training before being employed at the textile facility.
