Trade Fair Centre readying to be Africa’s first multipurpose trade centre

Ghanaians are expecting to record some major infrastructural changes at the Trade Fair Centre in the coming years. This follows government’s approval of the master plan for the redevelopment project.

The project which began in the third quarter of 2019, will transform the Trade Fair Center into a world-class multipurpose trade fair centre, which would be the first of its kind on the African continent.

However, details of progress of the project may have eluded many Ghanaians.

According to CEO of the Trade Fair Company, Agnes Adu, however, plans are far advanced as far as preparations for the Centre to have a major facelift is concerned; especially with the approval by government in June 2019.

She said in an interview with GhanaWeb at the launch of 24th edition of Ghana International Trade Fair 2020 “the last two to three years that this new government has taken over the running of the country and also appointing us…we started planning how we’re going to develop the site, the site is very vast. So we’ve actually outdoored the master plan to the press already which includes building a new convention and exhibition centre…”

“To build that, we need to basically take the old buildings that are no longer serving their purpose down and build new ones. We’re ongoing, some demolishing has started on the site already. We have given the proper notification for everybody to clear the ground…,” she added.

In this regard, GhanaWeb took a tour around some parts of the 156-acre land space currently housing the Trade Fair Center in order to affirm the CEO’s claims.

Indeed, some ruins were recorded as some buildings had been pulled down to clear the areas for the upcoming redevelopment.

Some structures behind the administration block at the centre had been cleared.

Also, some persons believed to be scrap dealers were at the site salvaging some metals from the ruins.

However, the news team sighted neither of the building equipment and machinery for the upcoming redevelopment project.

The building, when completed, will house a new convention and exhibition centre that will give room for many exhibitors to display their goods during fairs in a more professional standard.

It would also generate estimated permanent employment of more than 10,000 people with an estimated $150 million worth of business annually.