The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in the Volta, Eastern, and Oti Regions has selected the Volta Regional capital as the host of its permanent regional office.

The site will also host an incubation centre complex for Small to Medium Scale Industries (SMEs) and will be named after Dr Mrs Esther Ocloo, founder of the AGI, who is a native of the Volta Region.

Mr Dela Gbeve, Treasurer of the Association in the Regions, said the Ho Municipality had been a strategic launch point for its activities in the enclaves and therefore deserved the honour of the intended development.

He was addressing the media launch of the maiden Ho Investment Expo and said the establishment would affect the development of the bulking tourism and investment potentials of the Region and its neighbours.

“For us at AGI, Ho has played host to our three zonal regions of Eastern, Volta and Oti over the past years and am delighted to inform you that the city has been a wonderful host.

“To acknowledge the fact that the Volta Region has been a great host to the AGI, the regional executives have decided to build a permanent office and SME incubation centre here in Ho.

“It will be named after the renowned industrialist Dr Mrs Esther Ocloo of Nkulenu fame who founded our association some 52 years ago,” he said.

Mr Gbeve said discussions were “far advanced” with relevant authorities towards the allocation of land, following which construction would commence, and that the support of the Municipal Assembly would be required.

“We strongly believe our municipality of Ho has great investment and tourism potentials that if well harnessed can boost the economic activities in the Municipality”, he said while noting recent partnered on the establishment of a diplomatic garden in the Municipality among other developmental initiatives.

The Ho Tourism, Real Estate and Investment Expo is a two-week event that is expected to stimulate among others, shareholder collaboration towards the realisation of a fully developed municipality.

The AGI, a key partner of the hugely successful Volta Trade and Investment Fair, promised spirited support for the Ho Expo, which is on the theme “Positioning the Oxygen City, Ho for Infrastructural Development and Tourism”.

It would be held from August ending at the Ho Jubilee Park, and over 200 exhibitors are expected to attend.

Mr Divine Bosson, the city’s Chief Executive, said the Expo would help in the transformation of the resource-endowed Municipality from an agrarian to a fledgling multi-economic hub serving the growth and employment needs.

He said the fair would attract both local and international investment to the Municipality and the Region at large and exhibit the tourism potential and the fast-expanding real estate industry to investors.

“This event, having been carefully thought through, is aimed at changing the face of the Ho Municipality to one which focuses on growth, development, and employment creation for the youth.

“Our reliance on agriculture as the mainstay of the municipality has proven over the period that we need to diversify and delve into other economic activities to enhance income and reduce poverty among the populace.

This, therefore, calls for pragmatic measures aimed at lifting the majority of our people from the doldrums,” the MCE stated.

Stakeholders including the Ghana Tourism Authority, the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, and the AGI are working together on the expo, with others such as the Volta Development Forum and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) as partners.