Some factories established under Ghana’s One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme have been converted into churches after ceasing operations, Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister Ahmed Ibrahim has said.
Speaking before Parliament’s Assurance Committee, Ibrahim said several of the factories failed because they were located in districts that lacked the raw materials needed to sustain production.
He attributed the poor siting of some projects to political considerations rather than economic viability, arguing that this undermined the long-term success of the initiative.
“We sited factories and companies far away from raw materials because politicians were coming from these faraway areas. How many of them survived?” he told the committee.
The minister said some of the abandoned facilities had since been repurposed as churches after production activities came to an end.
He also noted that a number of state-owned enterprises established over the years had either collapsed, been sold or privatised because of weak planning and sustainability challenges.
Ibrahim said the government intends to avoid similar mistakes as it implements its proposed 24-hour economy markets, adding that future projects would be located based on economic and commercial considerations rather than political interests.
“Now the power has been given to us to conduct research in the various districts together with the District Chief Executives, so we know where these factories will be economically viable,” he said.
According to the minister, comprehensive feasibility studies and local economic assessments will guide the siting of future projects to improve their long-term sustainability, increase productivity and create durable employment opportunities.
