At this year’s vibrant Damba Festival (BUDAFEST 2025) in Buipe, the special guest of honour, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu Adjare, Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, delivered a rousing address that turned cultural celebration into an economic roadmap.
Speaking on behalf of the President and Government of Ghana on Saturday, September 20, Hon. Elizabeth Adjare called Buipe and the wider Savannah Region “strategic anchors” in Ghana’s economic transformation agenda, citing their natural resources, trade position, and entrepreneurial potential.
“Where there is peace, tradition and unity, trade and development flourish,” she declared to cheers from the audience.
In her address, the Minister highlighted a series of ongoing and future initiatives aimed at turning Buipe into a logistics, agribusiness, and industrial powerhouse, including:
• Agro-processing plants to reduce post-harvest losses and create market-ready products from shea, cashew, yam, and livestock.
• Expansion of the buipe shea processing factory, linking local production to Ghana’s emerging 24-hour economy.
• Development of modern markets, storage facilities, and trade infrastructure in collaboration with local assemblies.
• Plans to transform the Buipe Market into a fully functional daily market, boosting trade in cattle, fish, yam, and other goods.
“Value addition is the name of the game,” Hon. Adjare said. “When we process what we grow — we retain wealth, empower farmers, and create jobs.”
Hon. Adjare emphasized that the government’s industrial drive must benefit the youth and women of Buipe and beyond. She announced plans to scale up skills training and apprenticeship programs, improve access to finance and promote entrepreneurship among the region’s women particularly in the shea industry, which she noted sustains thousands of households.
“We don’t just want job seekers. We want job creators,” she said. “We want women to remain a central pillar of Ghana’s trade agenda.”
Buipe’s strategic location connected by road and positioned near the Volta Lake transport corridor was singled out as a key logistics hub for both domestic and West African trade.
“This is the time to unlock Buipe’s potential and position it as a major player in regional commerce,” she asserted.
Praising the Buipe Traditional Council for its visionary leadership, the Minister said Ghana’s chieftaincy institution remains vital in mobilizing communities for national progress. She described Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II as a “living testimony” of how traditional leadership can complement state efforts in development.
“We recognize that development must be rooted in community ownership,” she noted. “Your leadership is not only symbolic, it’s strategic.”
Ending on a personal note, Hon. Adjare declared herself “a daughter of the soil” due to her longstanding connection with Buipewura’s sons; Professor Ahmed Jinapor, Hon. Abu Jinapor, and Hon. Dr. John Jinapor, Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition.
“It is a privilege to be here as your daughter,” she said. “And I promise to return year after year to celebrate this community.”
As drums beat and dances graced the BUDAFEST stage, the Minister’s words reminded all present that culture and commerce are not worlds apart, they are partners in progress.
“Let us use culture not only to preserve our past,” she urged, “but also to inspire innovation and enterprise for the future.”
She highlighted the following developmental plans for Buipe and it’s surroundings:
• Agro-processing plants coming to Buipe and surrounding districts
• Boost to the shea, yam, cashew and livestock value chains
• Expansion of Buipe Market and storage infrastructure
• Youth apprenticeship and women’s empowerment programs
• Recognition of Buipe as a key logistics and trade corridor
Source: Padfm.com.gh/Kumatey Gorden/0243531604
