Dr Daniel McKorley leading a team to tour the project
The Group Chairman of McDan Group Dr Daniel McKorley is optimistic the Songor Salt project operated by Electrochem Ghana Ltd will employ about 7,000 youth when the projected is completed.
Phase one of the project has so far employed 3,000 youths bringing some vibrancy into the local economy in and around Ada.
Speaking at the official commissioning of the Electrochem Salt Mine and Processing Plant at Ada on Wednesday (30 August), McKorley said the project will be a game changer.
“People asked me questions, and I could see in their eyes the doubt of revamping this project, the question they ask me is, can you do it? it sent a wavering fear in my spine, we have been bashed, misquoted, misrepresented, but as a torch bearer I kept focus.
“Entrepreneurs must be brave to make impact…, the project is going to change this country and the Ada community as a whole, this is bringing serious economic benefit that the youth will enjoy.”
“As we speak we have employed 3,000 youth in this place, as we move to Ada East , we are employing 3,000 more. by the end of this project, we are looking at employing 7,000 youth. I have never seen a single project in this country employ that has been able to employ so many people like this,’ McKorley said.
Listen to Dr Daniel McKorley in the attached audio clip below:
Watch the video clip below:
About Electrochem Salt Mine
A wholly owned Ghanaian mining firm, ElectroChem Ghana Limited, acquired the 41,000 acres Songor enclave concession which cuts across over thirty communities on a long-term basis for the Ada Songor salt project which has become the largest in acreage and production in sub-saharan Africa as compared to the Walvis Bay of Namibia which is about 16,700 acres and currently the largest.
The Electrochem Ghana Songor salt development project is expected to produce at least 1,000,000 metric tons of salt annually compared to the Walvis Bay of Namibia field which is currently producing about 900, 000 annually.
Some industry experts say with the advent of Electrochem Ghana Ltd the investor, Ghana is about to become a significant player in the supply of the commodity in the global market which currently uses 271 million metric tons of salt produced.
The redevelopment plan instituted by Electrochem since the acquisition has seen a total investment of US $80 Million so far which has gone into rehabilitating salt pans and the restoration of the Songor Lagoon which had dried up for over eight years.
Salt is an infinite resource with over 14,000 uses and serves as raw material for use in the pharmaceutical, food processing, oil and gas, food preservation, production of caustic soda, the textiles industry, mining, road maintenance, hospitals and hospitality sectors.
By Fred Dzakpata
