Northshore CEO: Jobs, not guns, are the durable answer to insecurity in Northern Ghana

The most durable solution to insecurity in Northern Ghana lies not in armed security responses but in the creation of dignified, sustainable employment, according to Nurideen Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer of Northshore Apparel Ghana Limited .

Speaking at the official commissioning of the Northshore Apparel Industrial Park in Savelugu on Friday, August 28, Mr. Mohammed argued that economic transformation is a critical component of national security strategy, capable of preventing young people from being recruited into conflict . “Across Northern Ghana, the most durable answer to insecurity has never been the silencing of a rifle. It is in the steady hum of a sewing line,” he stated, adding that industrialisation should be viewed as “national security policy by another name” .

A “Harbor of Hope” Built on a Refuse Dump

The narrative of the factory itself underscores the company’s transformative vision. Mr. Mohammed revealed that the facility was constructed on land that was previously an abandoned latrine pit and refuse dump . “Not long ago, the earth beneath our feet was an abandoned latrine pit… What was once a receiver now produces goods worn in New York and Frankfurt,” he said, framing the development as a powerful metaphor for redemption and opportunity.

Expressing confidence in the untapped potential of the region’s youth, he added, “If a pit can become a factory, then a boy loitering by the roadside can become a machinist. We believe that nothing and no one is beyond redemption” .

President Mahama Commissions Industrial Hub, Hails 30,000 Job Potential

The event was officially commissioned by President John Dramani Mahama, who declared the factory the “anchor tenant” of a planned industrial hub expected to employ at least 30,000 youth at full strength . President Mahama stated that Northshore “has made nonsense of all the arguments about factors of production” that had long deterred industrialists from investing in the North .

He recalled the region’s historical industrial glory, noting that it was once a thriving centre for rice, cotton, and vegetable oil processing . “The glorious past of northern industry declined,” he remarked, citing unreliable power, weak value chains, and poor road links as factors. “Today I have a pleasant feeling in my heart because I believe that we’ve planted the first seed that will restore the north to its glorious industrial past,” he added .

Economic Data Supports the “Jobs, Not Guns” Thesis

The sentiment expressed by the CEO and the President is supported by recent research. A study by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the National Peace Council identified youth unemployment as the single biggest driver of vulnerability to violent extremism in the region, with 86 per cent of respondents citing it as the primary risk factor . The study found that unemployment, poverty, and social exclusion continue to expose many young people to extremist recruitment .

Strategic Financing and Operational Scale

The factory is the result of a blended financing model involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM), the Investing for Employment (IFE) facility of Germany’s KfW Development Bank, and equity from the project promoters . GEXIM CEO Sylvester Adinam Mensah explained that the bank has “reset and redefined its lending scope” to prioritise high-impact projects, noting that “Northshore Apparel came in like many others, but few made arguments as compelling as this one” .

The first phase of the Northshore facility includes 50 sewing lines, a 4,000-square-metre cutting and design centre, and 8,000 square metres of warehousing . It has already created 3,000 immediate jobs and is projected to generate 10,000 direct positions once it reaches full operational capacity . Approximately 80 per cent of its employees are young women, who would otherwise have migrated south in search of menial work . The facility also features a 500-kilowatt peak solar power system, an on-site clinic, a crèche, and a 600,000-litre underground water facility .

A Call for Ownership

President Mahama said the factory will run several shifts as part of the government’s “24-Hour Economy” initiative, and noted that an upcoming expansion of the Eastern Corridor road will further improve logistics for goods moving from the North to Tema . Mr. Mohammed urged workers and residents to protect the factory, framing the project as a collective asset. “This factory is not mine. It is ours… Own it. Protect it. And prove to other investors that it works and that it pays to set up here,” he said .