The Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere in the Eastern Region, Daniel Nana Addo-Kenneth, has initiated stakeholder consultations with traditional authorities on a strategic roadmap toward hosting the maiden Okere Stakeholders Investment Forum, a flagship initiative aimed at attracting investors, stimulating enterprise and creating sustainable jobs for the youth.
The initiative is largely described by constituents as a significant step towards unlocking the economic potentials of the Okere.
The high-level engagement, held on Saturday, at the Adukrom Palace, brought together chiefs and queen mothers from the seven major traditional areas within the constituency, in what many observers described as a historic gathering, focused squarely on economic transformation.
Traditional leaders representing Abiriw, Dawu, Awukugua, Adukrom, Apirede, Aseseeso and Abonse attended the meeting, signaling a united front by the traditional leadership towards a common development vision for Okere.
At the heart of the deliberations was a singular, urgent and transformative question: “How do we bring Investors to Okere to create jobs?”
That question framed a day of intense dialogue, strategic planning, and collective commitment toward building a future in which the youth of Okere can find meaningful employment and entrepreneurial opportunities within their own communities rather than seeking uncertain prospects elsewhere.
The gathering reflected a growing recognition that development can no longer be left to the government alone, but must emerge from strong partnerships between traditional leadership, elected representatives, private investors, and local communities.
For Daniel Nana Addo-Kenneth, the investment forum is envisioned not merely as an event but as a practical economic vehicle to connect Okere’s untapped resources, peaceful environment, and strategic location with domestic and international investment capital.
Roadmap for the Maiden Investment Forum
One major outcome of the meeting was the agreement to convene a special follow-up meeting dedicated solely to finalizing the roadmap for the Maiden Okere Stakeholders Investment Forum, which is expected to become a defining platform for showcasing the constituency’s economic potential.
Key pillars discussed as part of the proposed investment framework include Litigation-Free Lands for Development where Traditional authorities are expected to work closely with local leadership to identify and dedicate peaceful, litigation-free acres of land suitable for industrial projects, commercial farming, agro-processing facilities, and manufacturing enterprises.
This is expected to remove one of the biggest barriers to investment—land acquisition uncertainty, and send a strong signal that Okere is investment-ready.
The constituency also plans to identify and package bankable projects in sectors such as agriculture, tourism, agro-processing, real estate, renewable energy, and rural industrialization for presentation to potential investors.
Rather than waiting passively for investment interest, Okere intends to proactively build commercially viable proposals capable of attracting serious financing.
Perhaps the strongest pillar of the initiative is its jobs-first approach.
Under the emerging framework, every investment partnership is expected to prioritise skills training for local youth, direct job creation, support for entrepreneurship, value-chain opportunities for farmers, artisans and traders and long-term economic empowerment rather than short-term gains.
Okere Has What Investors Are Looking For
Daniel Nana Addo-Kenneth emphasised that Okere possesses key advantages many investors actively seek like peace, social stability, available land, improving infrastructure and a ready youthful workforce.
According to him, while traditional leaders are providing leadership on land and community support, his role as a Member of Parliament is to leverage policy advocacy, strategic facilitation and investor engagement to channel capital into the constituency.
“Okere has the peace and physical infrastructure investors beg for. My job is to bring the investors to meet that peace,” he indicated.
This statement captures what is increasingly becoming known as the Okere Jobs Compact, a development formula built on collaboration between traditional authority and political leadership for economic transformation.
A notable theme that emerged from the meeting was inclusiveness. Leaders were emphatic that the proposed forum must not become an elite gathering reserved for politicians, executives and corporate figures, but rather a people-centered platform designed to solve real economic challenges confronting ordinary residents.
The vision is for investment to benefit the farmer who needs guaranteed markets and fair prices for produce, the SHS graduate who needs practical employment opportunities and the artisan who seeks regular contracts and skills upgrading.
The rest are the trader who needs capital expansion and stronger supply chains and the entrepreneur who requires access to partnerships, financing and mentorship.
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