In recent weeks, there have been renewed calls to review or even cancel some of the government’s sanitation contracts with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a private Ghanaian waste management company that has served the country for over 18 years.
At the centre of these discussions are concerns over allowances paid to sanitation workers. While it is essential to demand transparency, fair labour practices, and institutional accountability, we must also pause and reflect on how we treat local entrepreneurs.
Ghanaian companies like Zoomlion are often held to impossible standards, judged harshly in the court of public opinion, and left to fight for survival in ways foreign-owned companies rarely experience. We saw it during the banking crisis: local banks were shut down at the cost of GHS 19 billion — nearly double the GHS 11 billion required to save them.
Zoomlion’s story must not go the same way.
Turning Waste Into Wealth: The Work of ACARP
Did you know Accra alone produces more than 3,000 tonnes of solid waste daily? This waste, if not well-managed, poses serious threats to public health and the environment.
Enter ACARP (Accra Compost and Recycling Plant) — a subsidiary of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd. Since 2012, ACARP has processed over 600 tonnes of waste per day, turning waste into compost for agriculture, and recycling plastics, metals, and paper for both domestic and international markets.
Today, they are scaling to 1,500 tonnes per day, with mobile plants being deployed across all 16 regions (each handling 200 tonnes/day). Their long-term goals include waste-to-energy projects and e-waste processing, alongside running training centres and research labs.
Located at Kotoku near Amasaman, ACARP alone employs over 300 people directly, and supports the livelihoods of thousands more — including tricycle operators and their families.
When one private company contributes this much to environmental health and employment, we must ask ourselves: do we build them up or tear them down?
Bold Steps That Deserve Protection and Support
A conversation with a veteran journalist, formerly of one of Ghana’s top newspapers, reinforced my belief in defending Zoomlion. He confessed that in the past, he regularly wrote critical pieces about companies — until he became an entrepreneur himself and experienced the realities of building and sustaining a business in Ghana.
Another friend — a banker — recounted how some foreigners cash them with dogs if they go for debt recovery. Yet these stories rarely capture headlines.
Zoomlion, unlike many, stayed through COVID-19 and supported with fumigation as the only company with that capacity at the time. The company didn’t just collect waste; it built a national and continental model for waste management. Across 24 African countries, including a flagship waste management deal with Lagos State, Zoomlion is Ghana’s brand flying high.
Zoomlion by the Numbers
- 36 waste treatment and recycling plants across Ghana
- Over 85,000 jobs created, with a core staff of 3,500
- Presence in all 261 MMDAs in Ghana
- Operations in 24 African countries
- Numerous local and international awards
- Introduced dignity in sanitation: Bola Taxis, PPEs, mobile toilets
- Zoom Captains (Women) operate heavy-duty equipment
- Over 75 subsidiaries under its holding company
The company gained global attention during CAN 2008 with its swift and excellent sanitation work. It has continued to innovate and expand, including e-waste processing and advanced recycling facilities.
Zoomlion is Not Perfect — But It is Necessary
This isn’t a call to overlook inefficiencies. Systems can be improved. Contracts can be reviewed. Accountability should remain top priority.
But this must not become a witch-hunt. Entrepreneurs — especially those who solve national problems — deserve fairness, not persecution.
Zoomlion is a rare example of a homegrown company turning crisis into opportunity. With strategic support, it can be one of Ghana’s strongest exports — closing our balance of payment deficit while transforming African cities.
In Conclusion: Let’s Build, Not Break
If Zoomlion were a foreign company, would we be as quick to cancel them? Would we question their salaries, or glorify their “efficiency”?
It’s time to rethink how we treat Ghanaian entrepreneurs who take bold steps to create jobs, build infrastructure, and impact society. We must demand excellence, yes — but with the intent to grow and improve, not destroy.
Let’s protect our success stories. Let’s believe in Ghana. Let’s support local.
