NDPC holds consultations on West Africa Growth Ring Master Plan
The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has held a consultative meeting on the implementation of the “The Corridor Development for West Africa Growth Ring Master Plan (WAGRIC)” in Takoradi in the Western Region.
The WAGRIC is an integrated development of corridor infrastructure and economic sectors along a transport corridor along Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo and Burkina Faso.
Mr Kwaku Adjei-Fosu, Deputy Director of the NDPC said the project has been initiated to help balance economic development between coastal and inland areas in the four areas by utilizing development potentials in countries as well as solving transportation bottlenecks.
The target year of the strategic master plan in the long term is 2040. Meanwhile plenary works had been carried out from June 2015 and expected to end by March 2017.
The Deputy Director said, the Accra-Ouagadougou stretch would witness development such as agriculture and agro-processing in Bagrepole, manufacturing in Tamale, Kumasi and Ouagadougou and Iron ero in Shieni Dsitrict.
The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor would have the coastal belt with large urban accumulations, ports and economic sectors.
Mr Adjei-Fosu said the basic approaches to the project would be the integration of development for corridor infrastructure and economic sectors and the combination of private investment and government budgets, adding: “ Both public and private investment are required for promoting this project.”
The Deputy Director said by 2040, most trunk roads would be upgraded into high speed way within Tema to tamale though Accra and Kumasi to attract both foreign and local investment to northern areas of Ghana.
He said the eastern Corridor and Tema port would be enhanced together with the central corridor in order to compete with Lome-Ouagadougou as well as with Abidjan-Ouagadougou corridor.
Mr Adjei-Fosu said there would also be balanced regional development along Eastern, Central and Western Corridors.
Some participants during group presentations entreated government and its partners to undertake proper feasibility and research on the affected areas of the projects put in place good mitigation measures to avoid conflict and violence in affected neighborhoods.
Source: GNA