Beyond the Festivities: Gomoa must turn visibility into development

This Easter, Gomoa captured national attention in a way many residents have not witnessed in years. The festivities organised by Kwame Asare Obeng, Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, brought excitement, crowds, and renewed visibility to the area.

As someone with deep roots in Gomoa on both my maternal and paternal sides, I followed the events with a sense of pride. The energy was undeniable. Families gathered, young people were entertained, and traders enjoyed a boost in economic activity. For many, it was a timely moment of joy.

However, beyond the applause, the celebrations must provoke deeper reflection. Gomoa’s future cannot be built on festivities alone. Visibility, no matter how welcome, must be translated into lasting development if it is to mean anything beyond a brief moment.

For many Ghanaians, the last time Gomoa commanded national attention was in the early 2000s, when the size of our cassava sparked humour and recognition through the popular phrase “Gomoa Bankyi.” While amusing, that moment reflected something enduring: Gomoa’s long-standing agricultural strength and cultural identity.

Today, Gomoa is once again in the national spotlight - this time through Easter celebrations. But attention does not automatically lead to progress. If leveraged deliberately, however, this visibility can become an entry point for development.

Gomoa is a strategic location in the Central Region because it sits at the gateway between Accra and the rest of southern Ghana, combining proximity to the country’s largest market with lower land and operating costs. Its large and growing population provides both labour and a ready consumer base, while its coastal access, strong agricultural foundation, and available land make it suitable for fisheries, tourism, agro processing, and industrial development.

However, the reality on the ground demands urgency. Gomoa East, Gomoa West, and Gomoa Central together host a population of over half a million people, placing enormous strain on infrastructure and public services.

Road conditions remain a persistent challenge. Key routes such as the Dominase–Budumburam Road, the Afransi–Gomoa Fetteh Road, feeder roads linking Nyanyano to Fetteh, and several internal roads in Apam township continue to affect mobility, trade, and safety. Generally, all major roads in Gomoa are lifelines for traders, farmers, students, and transport operators. Their state, however, speaks volumes about years of underinvestment.

Healthcare infrastructure is equally strained. Facilities like Gomoa Dominase Polyclinic, Apam Government Hospital, and Budumburam Health Centre play crucial roles but face increasing pressure from population growth. Residents in expanding communities must often travel long distances for specialised care. Healthcare cannot continue to lag behind demographic realities.

Education, one of Gomoa’s greatest hopes, also faces infrastructural pressure. While schools such as Gomoa Senior High Technical School, Apam Senior High School, and Mozano Senior High School serve students from across Ghana, many basic schools struggle with overcrowding, limited furniture, weak ICT infrastructure, and inadequate technical and vocational facilities. I believe that a youthful population needs not only access to education but also quality and relevance.

It is important to acknowledge the value of the Easter festivities. They boosted local commerce, provided recreation for young people, strengthened community bonds, and positioned Gomoa as an Easter destination. These benefits should not be dismissed.

Yet festivities are temporary, while development is permanent. A festival may last a few days; a road serves decades, and a hospital saves lives for generations. Undeniably, in my estimation, Gomoa deserves both celebration and construction.

Encouragingly, there is already a development vision that could anchor this transition from visibility to investment. The Gomoa Central Special Economic Zone (GCSEZ) presents a transformative opportunity for the area and the wider Central Region.

Spanning over 21,000 acres, the initiative aims to support up to 10,000 businesses by 2032, create more than 60,000 jobs, and contribute an estimated $1.5 billion to Ghana’s GDP. With plans for a 24-hour business district, eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture, and digital innovation, the zone positions Gomoa strategically within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

However, such an ambitious vision cannot thrive without complementary infrastructure, including efficient roads, reliable utilities, strong healthcare systems, and skilled human capital. Visibility from festivals must therefore be linked to deliberate action that prepares Gomoa for investment readiness.

There is an instructive example within Ghana. Kwahu’s Easter celebrations have evolved beyond entertainment to include initiatives like the Kwahu Business Forum, which uses festive gatherings for investment dialogue and economic networking.

Gomoa can adopt a similar mindset. Our own Akwambo traditions have long been about convening, reflecting, and planning for collective progress. Additionally, development also requires collaboration. Gomoa’s story cannot be written by a single leader.

The three MPs - Hon. Kwame Asare Obeng (Gomoa Central), Hon. Desmond De Graft Paitoo (Gomoa East), and Hon. Richard Gyan Mensah (Gomoa West) represent one people with shared challenges. Roads, hospitals, and markets do not respect constituency boundaries. Unity and joint advocacy are therefore to be treated as a strategic imperative, not an option.

As intimated earlier, Gomoa’s geographic location offers significant economic potential and must be fully harnessed, as investor confidence currently remains weak due to the lack of basic infrastructure.

The Easter festivities deserve applause. But applause must give way to accountability. This moment should ignite sustained commitment to building roads, expanding healthcare, strengthening schools, and creating jobs that keep young people productively engaged at home.

As someone whose roots in Gomoa run deep, I believe this is a defining moment. Leadership will not be judged only by the size of festival crowds, but by the strength of the infrastructure and the opportunities created for future generations. Gomoa deserves more than festivities and entertainment. This Gomoa deserves sustained development that creates ripples of impact for the now and the future.