BUIPE EMERGES AS SECOND COMMERCIAL CITY UP NORTH

The Administrative Capital of the Central Gonja District, Buipe, is fast emerging as the second largest commercial or industrial city in the whole of Northern Region after the regional capital, Tamale.

Buipe, the capital of Central Gonja district is located at the Southern end of the Northern Region of Ghana. It is the gateway to the whole of the three Northern Regions. The town has a human population of about 36,000. The Buipe town is not only strategically located, but has also been gifted with a large volume of natural resources including gold, diamond, water and forest resources.

However, the enormous opportunities have largely remained untapped mainly due to limited investment funding and the limited exposure of the district to potential and prospective investors.

Fishing is one of the major employments for most of the people apart from farming. This is because the Buipe town is traversed by several streams and the Black Volta, which forms the district’s southern boundary with the Kintampo North District. Most of the people especially the young women are also engaged in petty trading. The town is fast attracting investor’s attention due to its vast investment potentials.

At the moment, a four hundred million dollar Savannah Cement (SAVACEM) is putting up in Buipe for the production of cement in the 12,000 hectares Yakumbo Forest Reserve. SAVACEM which starts full operation in October this year, is expected to employ at least 400 people from the area.

Another Cement Company called International Cement Company Limited is also due to establish in Buipe, with exploration works already started. Government is also establishing a shea nut processing and textile factory in Buipe.

There is also a Port sited in Buipe on the Black Volta. It links businesses from the Southern part of Ghana to the North and the neighbouring Burkina Faso. The Port mainly transports GHACEM and Diamond Cements from Tema and Aflao respectively, Oil from Tema Oil Refinery, Shea nuts and other food produce to and from the North.

Meanwhile, Buipe also serves as a comforter to the Oil Dealers up North who used to travel from far away Northern Sector to Tema for Oil supply. The Tema Oil Refinery now has a Sub-station for the storage of refined Oil for supply or commercial use in the three Northern Regions through the Bulk Oil Supply and Transport (BOST) Company in Buipe.