Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has officially announced the termination of the One-District-One-Factory (1D1F) initiative, signifying the conclusion of one of the New Patriotic Party’s key industrialization policies.
During her address to Members of Parliament on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the Minister disclosed that not only has the policy been abolished, but it also no longer offers any incentives.
“Mr Speaker, I wish to bring to the attention of the House that currently, there is no policy known as 1D1F,” Mrs Ofosu-Adjare remarked during her presentation on the floor.
This confirmation was made in response to a query from Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who sought clarification regarding the specific investment incentives being utilized to encourage private sector involvement following the cancellation of the 1D1F initiative, as well as the measures being implemented to alleviate investment risks in Ghana’s industrial sector, particularly in underdeveloped regions.
“Is the ministry MOTAI considering the creation of new industrial parks as part of a revised strategy for attracting investment?” the Minority Leader further inquired.
In response, the Minister outlined a new approach being adopted by the government under the 24-hour economy framework, a flagship initiative of the current administration.
“The 24-hour economy policy represents a new development and a transformative factor, aimed at making Ghana highly dynamic regardless of the time of day,” she elaborated.
As part of this renewed emphasis, Mrs Ofosu-Adjare indicated that the ministry is in the process of developing agro-processing parks, which she characterized as a crucial element of the 24-hour economy strategy.
“We are establishing agro-parks that aim to be a significant game changer, particularly in the agro-processing sectors, and efforts are underway to ensure continuous production for import substitution, export, foreign exchange generation, and job creation for our large youth population,” she concluded.
The now-defunct 1D1F initiative, which was launched in 2017 during the previous NPP administration, aimed to foster industrialization by setting up at least one factory in every district. The primary goal was to transition the economy from a dependence on raw material exports to one focused on value addition and the export of finished goods.
As this initiative comes to an end, the government seems dedicated to reshaping its industrial strategy through new initiatives that are in line with wider economic transformation objectives.
