Kumasi Launches First Millennium City Investment Promotion Website

This week, Kumasi, Ghana, became the first Millennium City to launch a website dedicated to attracting productive private investment, both foreign and local. For most investors, InvestinKumasi.com will provide a crucial first contact with the Kumasi City Investment Promotion Unit (KCIPU). A division of theKumasi Metropolitan Administration (KMA), KCIPU grew out of the Regional Partnership to Promote Trade and Investment in sub-Saharan Africa, funded by the Government of Finland and implemented by the Millennium Cities Initiative.

“As our society increasingly turns to the Web for sources of information, it has become vital to overcome geographic distance by using this tool to reach global audiences. The city of Kumasi’s new investment promotion Website is an excellent initiative that extends its reach into the global marketplace,” MCI Director Dr. Susan M. Blaustein commented.

While most countries have investment promotion Websites, it’s much less common for cities: this site will give Kumasi a distinct advantage. Kumasi’s mayor, the Honorable Samuel Sarpong, said he was delighted with the site, adding, “In this age, where various regions, countries and cities are intensely competing to attract investment, we cannot downplay the role that this Website will play in ensuring that Kumasi becomes a preferred destination for both domestic and foreign investors.”

Because private investment can have such far-reaching effects on a community, this focus on investment promotion is essential to Kumasi’s growth. MCI Regional Coordinator Abenaa Akuamoa-Boateng explained: “The Website will complement other efforts aimed at promoting investment in Kumasi, which will contribute to the creation of employment and the generation of revenue for the city, the transfer of technical know-how, and most importantly the overall goal of developing a global partnership for development.”

Even before the official launch, the site had already received one promising inquiry. The fact that investors are already finding the site and responding to it speaks to the quality of the design and content. A number of committed individuals contributed to the effort in Kumasi. Abenaa Akuamoa-Boateng and MCI Investment Promotion Specialist Bennet Niboi led the production, and Farouk Umar, head of IT at the KMA, and developer Simmon Raad provided input.

The site also shows how an investment promotion office can harness talent present in the community. Early on, Bennet Niboi approached University of Ghana students Elorm Kumahor, Daniel Fiawornu and Alhassan Yakubu with the idea of having them help with Kumasi’s site. The trio had learned Web development while building a successful Ghanaian pop culture site. “We in Kumasi work a lot with student volunteers because we believe young people possess huge potential and are often willing to go the extra mile,” Bennet Niboi commented. “Elorm, Daniel and Alhasaan brought a fresh perspective and remained very committed to the task of developing the Kumasi investment promotion Website.”

At InvestinKumasi.com, investors will find information about Kumasi’s business climate and investment opportunities, which include bamboo and bamboo products, affordable housing, and oil palm cultivation. The site also provides a step-by-step guide to setting up a business in the city. At this time, two other Millennium Cities are developing sites in advance of investment days planned for June/July 2013. “Not only does this welcoming new site give the City of Kumasi an effective and professional online presence,” MCI Director Susan Blaustein said, “but it also offers a superb example to other Millennium Cities, as they reach out to showcase their assets and opportunities by creating impressive sites of their own.”