Volta House of Chiefs signs four deals to attract Chinese investment

The Volta Regional House of Chiefs has signed four strategic agreements with Chinese companies aimed at attracting investment, technology transfer, infrastructure development and commercial aquaculture to the Volta Region.

The agreements were signed on Wednesday during a one-week business visit to China by a delegation of the House led by its President, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, Paramount Chief of the Anfoega Traditional Area.

The first Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Guangdong Welleap Information Technology Company to promote digital transformation and technology transfer to the Volta Region. The second, with Foshan Jinting Construction Engineering Company Limited, focuses on infrastructure and industrial development.

A third comprehensive investment agreement was signed with SINOHUI Investment Ghana Limited to provide a platform for channelling Chinese direct investment into Ghana. The fourth, with Moaming Yuantian Food Co., Ltd., focuses on commercial fish farming in the Volta Basin.

Moaming Yuantian is a major player in China’s tilapia industry, with a daily processing capacity of 150,000 kilogrammes across nine production lines. It operates more than 260,000 mu of tilapia ponds and exports to over 70 countries. The partnership is expected to boost fish production, create jobs and position the Volta Basin as a hub for commercial fish farming in West Africa.

The agreements were facilitated under the leadership of Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Mr Kojo Bonsu, with the Volta delegation coordinated by Mr Peter Ahiekpor. Other chiefs present included Togbega Gabusu VII, Togbe Atikpladza Agbi Yao VIII, Togbega Sei II, Torgbui Dagadu IX, Torgbui Tenge Dzokoto Gligui VII and Torgbiga Adamah III.

Togbe Tepre Hodo said the deals formed part of a strategic effort to reposition the Volta Region and Ghana for sustainable development through international partnerships. He noted that the technology partnership would accelerate digital transformation, while the construction agreement would support infrastructure and industrial development.

He affirmed that the House would continue to pursue partnerships capable of creating jobs, strengthening local production and supporting long-term economic development in the Volta Region.

The Volta Regional House of Chiefs, established by statute in 1958, is a key pillar in Ghana’s governance architecture, advising on traditional and developmental matters. The latest move underscores a growing trend of traditional authorities taking a more active role in attracting foreign direct investment.

The agreements come amid a broader push by Ghana to deepen economic ties with China. In January 2026, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development engaged Chinese counterparts to address Ghana’s estimated US$800 million annual fish supply deficit. In April, the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat signed an MoU with the Hunan Architectural Design Institute Group to develop the Volta Economic Corridor, a flagship initiative aimed at linking key production zones from Tema through Akosombo and the Afram Plains to Tamale.

The Volta Basin, formed by the Akosombo Dam, is one of the world’s largest man-made lakes and already hosts a significant portion of Ghana’s cage aquaculture industry, which grew at about 73 per cent per year between 2010 and 2016. The entry of a major Chinese tilapia producer is expected to further accelerate growth, although researchers have raised environmental concerns about cage aquaculture in Lake Volta.

The delegation is expected to return to Ghana in the coming days, with follow-up engagements planned to operationalise the agreements and begin project implementation.