Volta Region will become a mining hub but no galamsey – Togbe Afede

The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, has asserted that the Volta Region has the potential to discover national resources in commercial quantities.

He therefore advised responsible mining in an attempt to exploit the natural resource reserves in the region, as efforts are being made to attract investment, while decrying illegal mining activities.

Togbe Afede XIV was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Asogli Teza edition of the Volta Economic Forum, held in Ho.

“But let me add that bringing development to our region is not necessarily very easy. Why? Relating to other regions, we have not discovered enough of our mineral resources yet.”

“We are sure they are there, we are sure we will discover them, and we are sure we will also become a mining region very soon. But we shall mine responsibly; we will not allow galamaey in our region.”, he stressed.

Development initiatives

Togbe Afede lauded the initiatives of certain institutions and individuals who had devoted themselves, including the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, to driving the development of the Volta Region.

He listed the Volta Economic Forum and the Volta Development Forum among other individually engineered development plans aimed at guiding the progress of the Volta Region.

“It is important to note that there are a lot of joint efforts by individuals like Mr Azorli, Hon Ahiafor, and Dr Afetorgbor to mobilise for the development of our region”, he said.

Togbe Afede indicated his involvement in the hatching and implementation of initiatives targeted at infrastructure development, including the establishment of a Green City and erecting “high-quality residential facilities” around the Ho Airport.

Effective collaboration to promote development

He emphasised the need for effective collaboration to mobilise resources for the development of the regions in all sectors to warrant the well-being of citizens.

He added that initiatives such as the Volta Economic Forum are part of efforts to fulfil the requirements of the 1992 Constitution, which states that the country’s resources must be well managed for the benefit of the citizenry and ensures it is in a happy state.

“We have very good people, very imaginative and creative people, who have capital in their heads. We believe that we can deploy all of those things for the development of our region. The endowment in our minds typically has no value.”

“I am sure working together, we can bring development to our country, to our region in particular. It requires a lot of planning and coordination. Many of our projects have not been well coordinated. You hear one happening here, another happening there; the coordination has been a problem, and again that is why this forum is very important”, he said.

Commercialisation of the Ho Airport

Togbe Afede XIV explained that his company, the African World Airline, was not able to ply the Accra-Ho route due to the length of the runway at the Ho Airport.

He added that President Mahama has assured that extension works would be done on the runway to enable the Airport to receive bigger aircraft in the future.

“In April 2023 or 24, we had a test flight to Ho, and we observed that the runway of the Ho Airport needed to be made a little longer for our jets to be able to land. Our jets fly at very high speeds, and they need a longer runway to be able to operate most safely.”

“The good news is that President John Mahama has planned to increase the length of the runway of the Ho Airport. And once that is done, of course our aircraft can land at Ho Airport”, he promised.

A lead convener of the Volta Economic Forum, Dr Elikplim Afetorgbor, outlined factors that would drive investment opportunities in the region, and announced that the first edition of the Forum has birthed some development partnerships dotted across the region.

“Resources and opportunities do not transform economies by themselves. They require capital, credible projects, enabling institutions, strategic partnerships, and disciplined execution. And that is the essence of this year’s forum. Volta Economic Forum 2026”, he said.

The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, underscored that his jurisdiction is investment-ready.

“Volta is ready; we have the land, people, resources, and opportunities. We are ready to work with you to unlock their values. Let us move from opportunities to investments, from investments to enterprise and from enterprise to jobs, and improved livelihoods. Together, let us build a region that is competitive, innovative, resilient, and open to business”, he said.

The Volta Economic Forum initiative in 2025 provides a platform to discuss measures to harness the potential of the Volta Region for the benefit of the citizenry.

The region is endowed with agriculture, tourism, energy, transport, manufacturing, real estate, among others.

The Asogli Teza edition of the Volta Economic Forum was themed “From opportunities showcase to investment execution”.

It brought together people from academia, the business community, entrepreneurs, economists, politicians, students, youth groups, among others.