The Asuogyaman District Assembly has engaged the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) to seek a strategic partnership ahead of the Asuogyaman Tourism, Business and Investment Festival, scheduled for 3rd to 6th December 2026 at Atimpoku.

Presenting the initiative and outlining the purpose of the visit, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Godwin Bobobee, explained that the maiden Asuogyaman Tourism and Arts Festival, held in 2025, was largely successful in promoting the district’s cultural heritage. However, challenges faced by some hotels in meeting their property rate obligations had prompted the Assembly to broaden this year’s festival into a tourism, business and investment event. “Government can only create the enabling environment for these private businesses to thrive,” he said, highlighting the district’s untapped economic potential, including 99 largely underutilised islands on the Volta Lake, freshwater resources suitable for aquaculture and irrigation, and limestone deposits. He noted that these resources could position Asuogyaman as an investment destination beyond tourism.

The District Planning Officer indicated that the festival would feature a three-day Asuogyaman Business Forum, with sector-specific sessions on aquaculture, logistics, energy, real estate and the 24-hour economy, followed by site visits and opportunities for investment discussions and commitments. He said the Assembly was targeting up to 100,000 participants, compared with approximately 30,000 recorded at last year’s festival, and had received partnership interest from a number of ministries and agencies, the American Chamber of Commerce and the Diaspora Affairs Office.

In her response, the Director-General of NDPC, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, commended the Assembly for seeking to leverage its local resources and comparative advantages, particularly at a time when declining external financing was placing greater emphasis on domestic resource mobilisation and local economic development. She encouraged the delegation to engage key investment promotion institutions, particularly the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA) and the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), to help attract investment beyond Accra. She also raised concerns about protecting lands earmarked for the district’s proposed industrial zone from encroachment and expressed the Commission’s readiness to provide technical assistance and facilitate connections with relevant institutions.

A Principal Planning Officer of the Commission, Mr Christopher Conduah, recommended the Commission’s Investment Strategy Development Toolkit, developed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as a useful resource for helping the Assembly identify and map its comparative advantages ahead of the festival. He, however, cautioned that real estate development should be carefully managed to prevent it from displacing agricultural lands required to support future investment and economic activity.

A Chief Planning Analyst of the Commission, Mr Peter Porekuu, urged the Assembly to view the festival as an entry point to a broader, long-term development package rather than as a standalone event. He proposed the development of a Spatial Development Framework and a promotional video to help potential investors better visualise the district’s development plans and opportunities.

The DCE thanked the Commission for its candid input and support, reaffirming the Assembly’s vision “to position Asuogyaman as a model of excellence in local governance and development.”