FLASHBACK: 5 abandoned factories from Nkrumah's era that need to be revamped

On January 25, 2020, some Ghanaians on social media began to make calls for the revamping of all defunct factories built by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

They were of the view that the factories when revamped, will create more jobs for the youth and contribute to the Akufo-Addo's government’s 'Ghana Beyond Aid' agenda.

Read the full story originally published by Pulse Ghana in January 2020

Ghanaians have called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's government to revamp all defunct factories built by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

They believe the factories when revamped will create more jobs for the youth and contribute to his government’s 'Ghana beyond aid' agenda.

Most of the industries or factories set up during Nkrumah's regime have either been abandoned or collapsed.

Ghanaians and the world over still remember not only the personality of Africa's foremost freedom fighter.

Nkrumah is fondly remembered for the improved roads, schools, hospitals, factories, the Akosombo Dam, the Tema Harbour, Tema Motorway and economic stability, just to mention a few.

The tomato and mango canning plants established at Wenchi in the then Brong Ahafo Region are no more; the sugar factory at Asutuare; a cattle hide-leather-shoe complex in Bolgatanga and Ghana Airways are no more.

Here are 5 collapsed Nkrumah factories that could transform the economy.

1. Glass Manufacturing Corporation at Abosso

The Abosso Glass Factory, once a vibrant company manufacturing and supplying bottles for the beverage industry in Ghana and beyond, is now a white elephant.

Heavy equipment that was installed at the factory set up by Ghana's first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, some years ago is now at the mercy of the weather. The heavy equipment, the cost of which could run into several billions of cedis, is deteriorating at neck-breaking speed with nobody apparently concerned.

The Abosso Glass Factory produces glasses, bottles, sprite, coke, muscatella among others if revamped will create over 4000 direct and indirect jobs for the youth in the Municipality and its environs.

2. GIHOC Fibre Products Company

The GIHOC Fibre Products Company was set up in 1962 by Dr. Nkrumah to manufacture sacks for the export of cocoa beans and other agricultural products such as maize.

It was also producing shopping bags and money sacks for the carriage of coins by the banks.

As the only company manufacturing such products, the factory was one of the best in the country until it started facing difficulties in the mid-1980s. It later shut down in 1991.

3. Tema Food Complex Corporation

Tema became the cradle of Ghana's industrial backbone sine independence in 1957. It was to become a beacon of hope for Ghana's drive towards industrialization.

The Tema Food Complex Corporation, which was Ghana's largest food processing plant and was turning out various brands of products couldn't manage itself well.

Tema Food Complex was sold and renamed.

Tema's new identity as the industrial hub of the country will in the long term remain under private sector control.

4. Akosombo Textiles Limited

Established in 1967, Akosombo Textiles Limited began the modern textile industry in Ghana.

Established as part of the Cha Textile Group of Companies, the ATL, with an initial workforce of around 500, employed 1,650 people at the peak of its operations in the 1980s.

In 2012, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) however shut the factory down for owing taxes in excess of about GH¢5,714,560.65 at the time.

5. Wenchi Tomato Factory

The tomato processing factory at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region - Agri Commercial Services Limited was shut down in 2007.

Between 2002 and 2007, the factory was re-opened, canning tomato paste with the brand name "Wenchi Fresh".

However, due to the erratic supply of the right tomato-breed for processing, the company was shut down in 2007.

It was established under Dr. Kwame Nkrumah with an aim to help manage the situation of wastage when there was a bumper tomato harvest and collapsed some years after Dr. Nkrumah's overthrow.