Mahama Commissions Ghana’s First Regenerative Apparel Hub to Drive 24-hour Economy
President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned a state-of-the-art Northshore Apparel factory in Savelugu, set to operate for 24-hours.
Speaking at a ceremony attended by government officials, local government officials, traditional authorities and diplomats, President Mahama said the factory embodies the core objectives of his 24-hour Economy Policy, with shift-based manufacturing, round-the-clock employment, and continuous productivity.
Reflecting on the project’s funding model, President Mahama said the facility demonstrates the true purpose of state-backed development finance.
“Indeed, that is why we created the Ghana Exim Bank in 2016, during my last year in office, to finance projects like this. Unfortunately, after we left office, genuine industrialists and investors had no access to Ghana Exim financing,” the President stated.
He highlighted Northern Ghana’s vast, untapped investment potential, assuring prospective business leaders that the region offers secure, litigation-free land.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing supporting infrastructure, including expanded road networks, stable water supply, and reliable electricity to support commercial growth.
“Northshore has made nonsense of all traditional economic arguments about factors of production,” President Mahama remarked. “By the first quarter of next year, the entire Eastern Corridor road, from Nakpanduri through Atimpoku to Tema, will be completed. Your goods will arrive in even less time than they currently do. So you took a very good decision.”
President Mahama commended Ghanaian entrepreneurship, singling out the Chief Executive Officer of Northshore Apparel, Alhaji Mohammed Nurudeen Mohammed, for building a globally competitive, wholly Ghanaian-owned enterprise.
The factory received funding support from the Ghana EXIM Bank, the German Development Bank (KfW), and the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB). The hub strongly focuses on social inclusion and gender empowerment.
“Eighty per cent (80%) of the jobs available are reserved for women, supported by on-site facilities such as a crèche for nursing mothers, a clinic, and a canteen. Additionally, jobs are guaranteed for students from the Savelugu School for the Deaf,” President Mahama stated.
He added that the company’s recruitment policy directly aligns with national efforts to bridge economic inequality and curb the rural-urban migration of female head-porters (kayayei) to southern Ghana.
To ensure long-term sustainability, the President announced plans to integrate the Savelugu factory with a broader cotton revival initiative across the West African cotton belt. The integrated strategy aims to enable Ghana to grow, gin, and process its own cotton locally into finished garments for global export.
President Mahama also pledged continued government support through Ghana Free Zones incentives, revealing plans to replicate similar industrial hubs across the Central, Bono East, and Eastern Regions.
Currently operating 51 production lines in its initial phase, Northshore Apparel employs over 2,300 workers, most of whom are women. The company plans to scale its workforce to 10,000 employees as subsequent phases come online.
Explaining the comprehensive workplace design, CEO Alhaji Nurudeen Mohammed noted that the integrated welfare amenities, including the clinic, crèche, and canteen, were designed to boost productivity and employee well-being.
“These additional facilities ensure that our workers can give their best, as there will be no need for them to leave the premises during working hours for basic services,” Alhaji Mohammed explained.
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