Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Hunan Architectural Design Institute Group (HADI Group) to support industrial planning and infrastructure development along the Volta Economic Corridor (VEC).
The agreement, signed in Accra, is expected to position the corridor as a major investment hub and accelerate the implementation of the government’s 24-hour economy policy.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Secretariat’s Communications Department.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chairman of HADI Group, He Liu, said the Chinese firm is ready to support Ghana’s long-term development vision.
“We are ready to partner for the development of Ghana. Seeing the vision reflected here gives us confidence that this collaboration is built on a strong and practical foundation,” he said.
Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, said the agreement builds on earlier engagements held in Changsha, China, in January 2026.
“When we sat together in Changsha, we agreed that this relationship must be practical. Three months later, here we are,” he noted.
Tanoh said Ghana is drawing lessons from Hunan Province’s transformation from an agrarian region into a global engineering hub through strategic infrastructure planning.
“The institution helped plan the infrastructure that built modern Hunan. We are asking them to bring that same capability to Ghana. The work starts now,” he added.
He described the Volta Economic Corridor as the centrepiece of the government’s 24-hour economy programme, designed to link production, processing and trade.
The corridor will stretch from Tema through Akosombo, Afram Plains, Yeji, Buipe, Yapei and Tamale, and is expected to integrate over two million hectares of arable land into agroecological and industrial parks.
Officials say the project will be powered by renewable energy to reduce electricity costs and improve competitiveness in manufacturing.
The African Development Bank is supporting feasibility studies for the corridor’s transport systems, while the project is expected to create more than 500,000 direct jobs.
Under the agreement, HADI Group will support master planning, spatial design and infrastructure development, including roads, water systems and industrial park layouts.
Both parties have also agreed to begin pilot projects involving two industrial parks and three agroecological parks, with design work expected to start immediately.
