Researched by Alfa Shaban
In late August 2026, President John Dramani Mahama opened the Savelugu-based manufacturing company, Northshore Apparel Hub. The presidency claimed via a Facebook post that the facility was built as part of the government’s 24-hour economy initiative.
It wasn’t long before supporters of the previous government started circulating a narrative that the factory was in fact started under the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative (here, here, here).
An aide to the former Vice President wrote on X, “Whole Jubilee House misinforming Ghanaians. A 1 district, 1 factory under Prez Akuffo Addo has now turned into a project under the 24-hour economy??”
Awal Mohammed, a national communications member of the NPP, also claimed: “The sod-cutting ceremony took place on Wednesday, 28th February 2024, under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative, with a clear two-year completion target.”
When a flyer of the factory commissioning with the inscription “a 24-HOUR PROJECT” was circulated, NPP sympathisers, including former presidential staffer Dennis Miracles Aboagye, claimed that the project was under the 1D1F initiative (here, here).
“Surely, this flyer may be a mistake… Northshore apparel is certainly a 1D1F Project and not a 24 hour Economy project,” Miracles stated.
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The flyer in question was first posted by the Ghana EximBank across its social media handles, including Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
When we engaged Miracles Aboagye further on his claim that the factory was a 1D1F project, he drew our attention to an updated version of his post that admitted that while the facility was not a 1D1F project, it was “initiated, facilitated and funded by the NPP Government.”
This report will ascertain whether the project was under the 1D1F or the 24-hour economy initiative.
Fact-check
We reviewed archived pages of the 1D1F website and did not find the company mentioned as a beneficiary.
GhanaFact observed that most comments aligning the Northshore project to 1D1F cited the fact that the sod-cutting took place in early 2024 when the NPP was in government. So, we traced the ceremony and found the following.
- The project was launched on February 28, 2024.
- Funding, according to a GNA story, was provided by MIK Designs, MUSOF Enterprise, Investing for Employment (IFE), KfW Development Bank and the The ADB-Agricultural Development Bank (ADB PLC.) See other news publications here, here, here.
- The then Savelugu Municipal Chief Executive, Hajia Ayishatu Seidu, was the topmost local government appointee at the launch.
- Branding materials at the launch did not have the 1D1F logo.
- The event was graced by: • The Paramount Chief of Savelugu Traditional Area – Naa Andani Yakubu Abdulai V, • Representatives from Facility Investing for Employment (IFE), which is an investment facility created by KW Development Bank (KfW) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), • Management of ADB PLC, • Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Idrissu and • Nyab Pishigu Lana – Naa Alhassan Adnani as Chairman.
Our checks from the Office of the Registrar of Companies revealed that Northshore Apparel Ghana Limited was registered as a company limited by shares. The president also announced at the opening that “Northshore is registered under the Free Zones, so it will benefit from all the incentives that the Free Zones has to offer.”
Funding partners
Funding partners of the project were also clearly stated in a 2025 statement from Northshore, wherein they list the following organizations – KfW, IFE and ADB PLC – as funders.
While ADB PLC was fully present on branding materials at the 2024 launch, we found that at the 2026 commissioning, branding materials did not have its logo, but the Ghana Exim Bank was on the branding.
Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, in explaining the role of the respective banks, wrote in an August 31 Facebook post: “In 2025, the project was presented to Ghana EximBank (GEXIM) for consideration. GEXIM, led by Sylvester Mensah, evaluated and increased its scope, paid off ADB PLC, and injected the much-needed funds through its concessionary rates to bring the project to its current completion.”
Our emails to Ghana Eximbank and the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development have not yet been answered. We will update this report once we hear from either institution.
From the above, the project was neither under the 1D1F programme nor the 24-Hour Economy programme.
