Ecosystem report on Ho ready

The Ho Node Hub, a digital skills training and tech innovation support centre has completed an ecosystem report on the Ho Municipality.

The three-year MasterCard Foundation-funded nationwide project, is expected to produce a precise guide to investing in the Municipality.

Mr Courage Asase, Regional Operations Manager of the Hub, told the Ghana News Agency at a stakeholder meeting to preview the document that little or no comprehensive ecosystem reports existed in the country that detailed the local arena and participation.

He said local economy expertise was key to investment success, and thus with the support of the Ghana Tech Lab, the project sought to provide a “commonplace of information on activities in Volta with Ho as the axis”.

“This would help understand the ecosystem in Ho, and perfect the mapping of other towns in the Region,” Mr Asase added.

He said the increase in tertiary institutions and their youthful populations positioned the regional capital as a major centre for tech innovation- a vision the Hub was trailing, and appealed to government to address the slow pace of digital transformation in the city.

“In Ten to 15 years, tertiary institutions would turn Ho into what they turned Accra and Kumasi. Jobs would grow. But the digital infrastructure growth is very slow,” he said.

Financial institutions employed the most, according to the report, and created abundant opportunities for business advisory services, financial credit, and training and mentorship.

The report listed aquaculture as one of the most thriving industries, making tilapia the most consumed produce.

It showed the entertainment industry boomed, with pubs and hotels becoming common investments, whiles health services also flourished in the fast-growing municipality.

Although media outlets were multiplying, very few women dominated the space, the report revealed, and also said physical space for businesses were inadequate, limiting their growth and expansion.

The report outlined human capital development, good road networks, and efficient digital infrastructures as necessary in the rapid socio-economic development of the city and the region as a whole.

The Ho Node Hub works with a wide spread of stakeholders, and offers digital skills training for students, startups, and small to medium scale enterprises.