Akufo-Addo sells ‘Apio’ to the world

President Nana Akufo-Addo has marketed a local gin to highlight the need to boost exports of local products

Addressing the gathering at his investiture in Accra to commence his second term, President Akufo-Addo said:

“I doubt that anyone would, ordinarily, mention ‘akpeteshie’, the local gin, as a possible item on the world market. I cannot vouch for its taste or potency, since I gave up alcohol many years ago, but I can say that the Made in Ghana and beautifully packaged ‘Apio’, I have recently seen, can compete in the most sophisticated markets in the world,” He advertised.

Additionally, he said he expects “the locally produced Eku juice, one of the results of Government’s ‘One-District-One-Factory’ flagship policy, to replace rapidly the imported fruit juices on the shelves of our supermarkets, not because anyone will so decree, but because the quality of the locally produced one is as good, if not superior”.

Not only would large production ensure food efficiency, but it would also strengthen Ghana’s currency against other major international currencies such as the US Dollar which the cedi trailed in depreciation of 3.93% at the end of 2020.

The COVID-19 inspired local ingenuity in the face of lockdowns and shutdowns of many factories from which Ghana’s export-dependent economy is hinged.

President Akufo-Addo observed the pandemic showed that “we cannot continue to be living on the edge in a day-to-day economy. This is dangerous for our survival, and it is important that we set up buffers of protection in all aspects of our lives”.

“So, when there was a shortage in the supply of personal protective equipment, at a time when they were being sold at extortionist prices on the world market, the enterprise of the Ghanaian shone through. We produced, right here in Ghana, our own sanitisers, face masks, medical scrubs, gowns, liquid soap amongst others. We can, indeed, build a Ghana Beyond Aid, if we make full use, as we must, of the enterprise and ingenuity of our people, especially our young people,” he stressed.

He singled out the prominent role played by young people in the digitisation era as strong proof of the feasibility of this objective.

He was optimistic that Ghana would become one of the most digitised economies in Africa in the next few years.

“My boundless confidence in the energy of the Ghanaian makes me believe that we can become the prosperous nation we aspire to, and soon. We have good reason to be proud of what we have been able to achieve so far”.