The Ministry of Defence and the Military High Command have directed the 48 Engineers Regiment, the specialised military engineering unit that undertook earthworks for the Accra–Kumasi Expressway, to construct the entire road network within the Gomoa Special Economic Zone and the Gomoa Eco Park, in a decisive move to accelerate industrialisation and tourism development in the Central Region.
The directive places the regiment at the centre of infrastructure preparations for two of President John Dramani Mahama’s most ambitious development initiatives for the region, laying the foundation for what is envisioned to become one of Africa’s largest industrial parks and a world-class ecotourism destination.
Yesterday, a team from the 48 Engineers Regiment, led by Capt. Abrokwah, made its first official visit to both project sites to conduct preliminary inspections in preparation for the road construction works, according to Gomoa Central Member of Parliament Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, who announced the development.
However, details regarding the length of the roads, the construction schedule, project costs and the anticipated commencement date were not provided in the announcement. The initial inspections represent a preparatory step towards the planned works, although the available information does not indicate whether physical road construction has commenced.
A $1.5 Billion Industrial Vision
The road construction assignment is linked to the Gomoa Central Special Economic Zone, a $1.5 billion development project spanning 21,000 acres in the Gomoa Central District. Officially launched by President Mahama on October 21, 2025, the zone is designed to create more than 60,000 jobs while positioning Ghana as a major industrial base for manufacturing, agro-processing, logistics and export services within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The project, jointly managed by the Gomoa Central Development Trust and supported by the Ghana Free Zones Authority, forms part of the government’s 24-Hour Economy Agenda, an initiative focused on continuous production and expanded export capacity.
According to A-Plus, the zone integrates five interconnected pillars: a 24-hour business district designed to support 10,000 businesses by 2032, an eco-recreational park targeting one million visitors annually by 2030, organic and sustainable farming zones covering 2,100 acres, an integrated eco-industrial hub housing 200 factories, and a renewable energy-powered crypto mining facility generating over $100 million annually. The zone is also designed to operate as a platform for AfCFTA digital currency trade, with blockchain-based systems aimed at facilitating transactions across 54 African countries.
“This is a complete ecosystem that proves sustainability and profitability can thrive together,” A-Plus said. “We’re creating a model that Africa has never seen before, one that our children will be proud of and that will inspire similar developments across the continent”.
A Continental Gateway
The MP has described the economic zone not merely as a local development project but as “a continental gateway” strategically aligned with the AfCFTA and Ghana’s broader 24-hour economy agenda. “From here, we connect straight into Accra, Tema, Cape Coast, and Takoradi; linking directly to both of Ghana’s mighty seaports,” he said. “Our Zone sits right on the proposed six-lane Abidjan-Lagos Highway; five capital cities, 75 percent of West Africa’s trade; and Gomoa Central will be right at the center of it all”.
The project is expected to include automobile assembly plants, agro-processing factories, pharmaceutical industries, and ICT innovation hubs, supported by a 350MW solar power plant to ensure clean and affordable energy. Plans also include the development of a deep-sea industrial port at Gomoa Mankoadze, which A-Plus described as completing Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s long-held vision to open up the Central Region as a key gateway for commerce.
Reviving Nkrumah’s Industrial Legacy
The Gomoa Central initiative is explicitly framed as a revival of Ghana’s first President’s industrial ambitions for the area. A-Plus recalled that Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, some 60 years ago, established several pioneering projects in Gomoa, including the Pomadze Poultry Farm, a feed mill, a hatchery and animal husbandry initiatives that laid the foundation for Ghana’s early industrial vision.
“When Dr Nkrumah visited Gomoa some 60 years ago, he saw not just farmland, but potential — fertile ground to plant the seeds of Ghana’s industrial and educational revolution,” the MP said. He described the economic zone as “the meeting point of history and destiny; where Nkrumah’s dream of an industrialized Ghana embraces Mahama’s vision of a 24-hour economy to reset Ghana”.
Gomoa Eco Park: Africa’s Next Tourism Giant
A flagship component of the economic zone, the Gomoa Eco Park in the Yenku Forest, is projected to become the biggest eco-tourism park in Africa and could rival the famous Kakum National Park. The park is expected to feature canopy walks, glass walkways, zip lines, hiking trails, quad biking and an expanded animal population.
A-Plus has also announced plans to introduce a hot air balloon attraction from Kenya during next year’s Easter celebrations, as well as an artificial waterfall and dancing fountains visible from the Lagos-Abidjan Highway at night. A 50-metre observation tower is planned to stand on a 157-metre mountain, anchoring the park’s skyline.
The MP expressed confidence that the tourism projects would be completed during President Mahama’s tenure and would help position Ghana as Africa’s premier tourism destination.
Regiment’s Track Record
The 48 Engineers Regiment brings a proven record of large-scale infrastructure delivery to its new assignment. The unit completed the clearing of the right-of-way for the 175.6-kilometre Accra–Kumasi Expressway in 19 weeks, one week ahead of the original 20-week schedule, navigating dense virgin forests and river crossings from Ablekuma in Greater Accra to Sewua in the Ashanti Region. President Mahama subsequently named the regiment a major sub-contractor for the expressway project and announced plans to confer a national honour on the unit for its performance.
The involvement of the military engineering unit in the Gomoa projects signals the government’s intent to deploy specialised state capacity to accelerate delivery of flagship infrastructure, a model that has been described as a “Big Push” strategy for national development.
Challenges and Controversies
Despite the ambitious vision, the project has not been without challenges. A controversy erupted in January 2026 over a Digital Land Acquisition and Management Platform reportedly created under the auspices of the economic zone, with traditional leaders in Effutu accusing the MP of using the app to unlawfully appropriate Effutu lands.
Broader implementation hurdles also remain. High operational costs, low technology adoption, and limited access to finance continue to constrain manufacturers across Ghana, with manufacturing credit rates regularly exceeding 25 percent and electricity tariffs remaining volatile. These are issues that even well-designed special economic zones cannot fully resolve on their own.
A-Plus has also claimed that unnamed individuals were working to sabotage the project, attributing the alleged opposition to “fear and envy”.
Regional Implications
The Central Region has in recent years been positioning itself as a hub for both industrial and tourism development. The Cape Coast Municipal Assembly launched its 2026-2033 development plan in October 2025, integrating infrastructure upgrades with tourism development. Other eco-tourism projects, including the Crown Forest Nature and Cultural Heritage Resort and the Konkon Wonderland Ecological Park, have also been established in the region.
At full operation, the Gomoa Central Special Economic Zone is projected to generate billions in export earnings, support local suppliers, and drive inclusive growth across the Central Region and beyond. The project aims to capture 30 percent of AfCFTA transactions by 2030, potentially adding $1.5 billion to Ghana’s GDP.
For now, the arrival of the 48 Engineers Regiment at the project sites marks the transition from vision to physical construction. The road network they are tasked to build will serve as the circulatory system for what is envisioned to become a new engine of Ghanaian industrial and tourism growth.
A-Plus concluded with a call for unity and determination: “I have not come to beg for grants or complain about colonialism. I come to declare that in the land of Gomoa lies opportunity; prosperity waiting to be unlocked. Together, let us seize it, shape it, and share it with the world”.
