Ghana has secured a $30 million grant from the Chinese government for the construction of a modern market in Aflao, located in the Volta Region, fulfilling a key campaign pledge made by President John Dramani Mahama during the 2024 general elections.
The agreement, signed on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra, marks a significant step in the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement between Ghana and China.
Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, signed on behalf of the government, while Chinese Ambassador Mr. Tong Defa represented Beijing.
According to the Ministry, the market aims to transform Aflao into a regional commercial hub, boosting economic activity across the Ghana-Togo border.
initiative is modeled after the Kotokuraba Market in Cape Coast, a landmark project completed during the administration of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, when Mahama served as Vice President.
“This project will not only fulfill President Mahama’s promise to the people of Aflao, but it will also promote regional integration, intra-African trade, and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs,” Ablakwa stated at the signing ceremony.
The minister highlighted Aflao’s strategic importance, noting its role as a key link in the ECOWAS trade corridor that connects Ghana to other West African economies.
The Chinese ambassador lauded the bilateral relationship, calling the initiative a tangible outcome of deepening cooperation between the two countries.
“We had fruitful discussions on the implementation of concrete projects within the framework of this agreement, in order to truly benefit our two peoples,” Tong Defa said.
The Aflao market is expected to catalyze trade between Ho and Lomé, enhance living conditions across the region, and further cement the economic partnership between Ghana and China.
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