By Isaac Arkoh, GNA
Assin Darmang (C/R), May 09, GNA – Overgrown weeds and grass have completely overtaken over the One District One Factory (1D1F) starch processing facility at Kyekyewere in the Assin South District of the Central Region.
The project, jointly financed with millions by the African Development Bank (AfDB), IFAD and the Government of Ghana, was heralded as a catalyst for agro-industrial growth and job creation.
But the site now stands as a stark symbol of unfulfilled promise while hundreds of youths in the area struggle with unemployment.
Launched under former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s flagship 1D1F initiative, the factory was designed to process cassava into starch for local and export markets, leveraging the region’s abundant cassava farms.
Construction began around 2019 but grounded to a halt amid reported funding shortfalls, procurement delays, and logistical hurdles.
It was intended to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs for the youth, anchor value addition, and empower graduates with technical expertise.
It was also aimed to reduce post-harvest losses of the widely grown crop in the area, strengthen links between farmers, processors and markets to boost local businesses and rural incomes.
Additionally, it was to support industrial growth of the country by producing items such as flour, starch, gari and ethanol for domestic use and export, thereby helping Ghana earn more foreign exchange and reduce import dependence.
Siting on an acre of land near the Assin Fosu-Kumasi highway, the facility now resembles a derelict jungle with rusted equipment, cracked concrete slabs, and overgrown vegetation reclaiming the space when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited on Thursday.
The road leading to the factory is in terrible condition, with multiple potholes further deepening the youths’ dashed hopes as they lamented the abandonment.
Many of the youth in Assin Kyekyewere, Nsuam, Darmang and Ngyresi who have completed Senior High School or vocational training, had high hopes of employment.
“We were told this factory would create about 500 direct and indirect jobs, but now, we only see weeds and snakes,” young man, who pleaded anonymity said.
Mr Daniel Kwasi Atta, a 28-year-old unemployed technical university graduate told the GNA that they had been promised jobs at the factory together with training in processing, packaging and even management, but now their hopes had been dashed.
Madam Comfort Gyamfi, a 27-year-old agriculturist, shared her frustration, explaining that she had studied agriculture and viewed the factory as a dream come true, but instead she was managing someone’s provisions shop and occasionally hawked fried yam.
“Our dreams of getting jobs at the factory are rotting like the facility,” she stated and urged the government to act quickly to save the factory.
Some farmers also shared heart breaking tales, with some claiming they had been forced to sell their acres of cassava farms to a local gari processor.
Mr Samuel Jackson, a middle-aged farmer, said he had expanded his farm expecting steady buyers and good prices, but lost value on his produce due to a lack of buyers.
He noted that several out growers like him were suffering because they had to sell cheap or let the crops go waste, and many had sworn never to plant again, as the factory had broken their trust.
Mrs Felicia Amissah Ntrakwah, former District Chief Executive, confirmed to GNA that the facility was state funded through its partners and had been completed, awaiting official commencement of work before her exit in 2024.
However, she said there were concerns about the facility’s proximity to the Government Agenda 111 Hospital and unknown effects on their operations.
Subsequently, the GNA followed up to the Assin South District Assembly, where some officials who pleaded anonymity said they were ignorant of the facility despite its proximity to the main road.
Some claimed they had no knowledge or even seen documents on the project since the Assembly was not involved in its construction.
Others with knowledge of the factory, admitted they had never visited the site, because it was a central government project outside their purview.
Some other officials demanded accountability on the project and questioned the lack of transparency on costs and reasons for its idleness because taxpayers deserved answers.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Isaac Arkoh