Another Wasted Investment: Manso Mem Palm Oil Factory Left to Rot Less Than a Year After Inauguration

The Manso Mem Palm Oil Extraction Factory in the Amansie South District, once hailed as a game-changer for farmers and local youth, has been left abandoned less than a year after its grand inauguration.

Launched on December 4, 2024, with promises of hundreds of jobs and increased economic activity, the facility now stands in ruins. 

Its costly machines are rusting away, and weeds have taken over the compound, dashing the hopes of residents who had expected a brighter economic future.

Mr. James Osei, Assembly Member for the Manso Mem Domi Electoral Area, has described the facility as a “wasted investment” following a recent inspection. 

He warned that unless swift action is taken, the entire project could collapse beyond repair.

“This factory was meant to transform the lives of our farmers and the youth, but today it is rotting away in the bush. Government has spent millions of cedis here, yet the machines are rusting because they have not been used. It is heartbreaking,” he lamented.

According to Mr. Osei, the collapse stems from the District Assembly’s failure to provide a water connection, an oversight he says is both shocking and costly.

“All this is happening because water was not connected. It is shocking that such a small but crucial step has been overlooked. If urgent action is not taken, this project will collapse completely,” he stressed.

The facility, which was established in partnership with traditional leaders and the District Chief Executive at the time, Mr. Clement Opoku Gyamfi, had been projected as a central hub for palm farmers in the area. 

Its neglect, however, has left farmers stranded and residents deeply disillusioned.

Community members are now demanding urgent intervention to salvage the project before it becomes another symbol of abandoned state-led initiatives.

Meanwhile, Ghana is one of West Africa’s leading palm oil producers, with the crop cultivated mainly in the Eastern, Central, Ashanti, and Western regions. 

The sector provides livelihoods for more than 300,000 smallholder farmers and contributes significantly to rural employment. 

However, weak processing capacity and poor infrastructure have long hampered the industry’s growth, forcing the country to import refined palm oil despite its strong local potential.

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