Over 7,000 Ghanaian youth will be employed by 2024 when the Electrochem Ghana Limited Songor Salt Project becomes fully operational.

Currently, 3000 persons have been employed in the first phase of the project with 4,000 more to be engaged when the salt concession hits full operations in 2024.

This was disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the McDan Group, Dr Daniel Mckorley, during the commissioning of Electrochem's Salt Mine and Processing Plant at Ada in the Greater Accra Region.

The commissioning which was performed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would see Electrochem become the hub for salt production in Africa.

Electrochem, a subsidiary of the McDan Group had been granted a 15-year lease to transform the Ada Songor salt concession which, hitherto, had been left to deteriorate due to mismanagement.

The concession, which had been in existence for over 54 years, had been left in the hands of the locals but the government in 2020, following its diversification agenda by utilising natural resources and relying on public-private partnerships to transform the economy, gave the lagoon to Electrochem for development.

Dr Daniel McKorley explained that they managed to transform the concession in two years and would provide jobs to the local people, and ultimately boost the economy.

Currently, he said, they are producing 650,000 metric tons of salt and would move to one million metric tons next year, and two million by 2025.

"This is only the first phase of the project and by the time we are done with the refinery and other sections, we could lead the industrialisation drive of the country, by providing jobs and boosting the economy," he stated.

He said a chemical university to drive industrialisation in Ghana would also be built after the final phase.

President Nana Akufo-Addo commended Dr. McKorley and Electrochem for harnessing the full potential of the Songor Lagoon.

"This is the first time in the history of Ghana that an indigenous Ghanaian businessman owns one of the biggest salt refineries in Africa," he stated.

He added that Ghana could supply Nigeria and other parts of the world with salt and the importation of salt from Europe would become a thing of the past.

"Nigeria currently is importing two billion worth of salt from Brazil annually and gradually Ghana could be able to provide the neighbouring country and other countries with salt.

"Producing two million metric salt a year will be the biggest salt concession in Africa and the government is committed to supporting the company to succeed," he added.

He thanked the Paramount Chief of Ada, Nene Abram Akuaku III, and the people of Ada for their support and urged them to become stakeholders of the project.

The commissioning brought together dignitaries including the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor; the Greater Accra Minister, Henry Quartey; the Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T Hammond; as well as executives from the Ghana Association of Industries, the Chamber of Commence, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Ecobank.

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