Mahama Cuts Sod for 24-Hour Economy Model Market in Juapong, Assures Volta Region of Fair Share of Development

President John Dramani Mahama has cut the sod for the construction of a 24-Hour Economy Model Market in Juapong, reaffirming his government’s commitment to equitable development and declaring that the Volta Region will receive its fair share of national investment.

The project, the first of its kind in the region under the government’s flagship 24-Hour Economy programme, is expected to transform Juapong into a major commercial hub while creating jobs and improving livelihoods for farmers, traders and small businesses.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Mahama dismissed the notion that any part of the country should be neglected because of its voting pattern.

“The Volta Region has made an immeasurable contribution to Ghana’s development, and its people deserve to share fully in the progress of our nation,” he said.

He stressed that his administration was committed to balanced national development, saying government was investing in healthcare, education, roads, transport, agriculture, agro-processing and market infrastructure across the country.

According to the President, the Juapong facility has been designed as more than a traditional market.

“It is being developed as a modern enterprise hub that will support aggregation, storage, processing, packaging, financial services, digital commerce and efficient distribution,” he explained.

He said the project would help farmers reduce post-harvest losses, provide traders with a safer and cleaner business environment, and strengthen the local economy by creating new opportunities for transport operators, artisans, food processors and other service providers.

President Mahama announced that every one of the Volta Region’s 18 districts would benefit from the 24-Hour Economy market programme, with Juapong receiving a Category Four market despite not being a metropolitan assembly.

The market will feature 100 lockable stores, 150 market stalls, warehouses, a police post, fire station, clinic, pharmacy, Women’s Development Bank branch, daycare centre, cold storage facilities, food courts, a supermarket, guest rooms and modern sanitation facilities.

He said the initiative formed part of government’s broader strategy to remove barriers to business growth by improving infrastructure, strengthening supply chains and expanding market access for producers.

The President also unveiled government’s vision for the proposed Volta Economic Corridor, which aims to integrate agriculture, manufacturing, aquaculture, logistics, inland water transport, renewable energy, tourism and export-led industrialisation into a single economic ecosystem.

He noted that communities such as Juapong would play a strategic role in driving industrial production and value addition under the initiative.

President Mahama further announced that government had selected a strategic investor to partner in the revival of Volta Star Textiles Limited, saying the factory would once again become a major source of employment and industrial growth in the area.

Touching on the impact of the Akosombo Dam spillage, he assured affected residents that compensation payments would begin once ongoing verification processes were completed, with funds already provided for in the 2026 Budget.

He also disclosed that procurement was underway to select a new contractor for the Volivo Bridge project after the previous contractor withdrew, expressing confidence that construction would begin before the end of the year.

The President encouraged young people in the Volta Region to take advantage of opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, digital services and entrepreneurship under the 24-Hour Economy policy.

As part of support for traders displaced by the redevelopment of the Juapong market, the area’s Member of Parliament and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, donated 100 industrial freezers to affected traders. President Mahama assured the displaced traders that they would be given first priority in the allocation of shops and stalls when the market is completed.

He called on the contractor, supervising agencies, traditional authorities and residents to work together to ensure the successful completion of the project, describing the market as a symbol of government’s determination to build thriving local economies and create opportunities for all Ghanaians.