<<Print>>

Investors are urgently needed to revive the fortunes of the Trade Fair Company, if operations of the company’s facilities are to meet patrons’ expectations, CEO Dr. Agnes Adu has revealed.

The facility, which was established in the 1960s mainly to promote trade shows, conferences, and to showcase Ghana’s products through exhibitions, have fallen into great disrepair within the last few decades and has since been facing renovation challenges , according to the CEO.

Speakingto the Goldstreet Business at the Ghana Investment Summit in Accra, Dr. Adu observed that, “the facility is 100 percent government owned but is run as a private company which pays its staff’s salaries. It is therefore imperative that the company embarks on private sector driven projects in order to thrive once again.”
The CEO indicated that the facility, which sits on a 200-acre land, is not only attractive in size but also close to the city centre, where access to the airport, hotels and the beach is stress-free.

“We are at the planning and budgeting stage to ascertain how much the renovation project will cost, but the cost is going to be significant” Dr. Adu noted
The aim of the company is to redesign the convention centre to accommodate hotels, restaurants and cafes while refurbishing the conference facilities into world class standards to attract not only Ghanaians but patrons from the sub region and the world at large” Dr. Adu noted.

She said management of the company would consult government for the necessary agreements to be reached when the company finally has a suitable investor or organizations that maybe willing to turn its fortunes around.

“For now, we need partners and funding for the redevelopment and the actual development works to take place. We’ll be glad to welcome hotel and restaurant franchises and companies that invest in facilities such as the trade fair company” she said.

The Ghana Trade Fair Centre, which used to be a centre of attraction and convergence for trading activities among the business community, both local and international, is now a pale shadow of itself.

With the exception of pavilions A and B, as well as the Mobile Pavilion and the offices of the Ghana Trade Fair Company (GTFC), the other facilities have been overtaken by weeds, making it a conducive haven for squatters and reptiles.