President praises Xu Ningquan’s long-term commitment to Ghana at Airport Garden City sod-cutting, linking investment to jobs, skills and national development.
President John Dramani Mahama has raised the prospect of a future national honour for Sentuo Group Executive Chairman Mr Xu Ningquan, citing his investments in Ghana and continued commitment to the country.
Speaking at the ceremonial sod-cutting for Sentuo Airport Garden City in Accra on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the President commended the chairman and the Group’s management for their confidence in Ghana and their decision to expand their investments.
“Mr Xu, if you haven’t got a national honour yet, I’m considering you for one in the future for your investment in Ghana,” President Mahama said.
The remark concerned a possible future honour, conditional on whether the chairman had already received one. The President did not announce a specific award or a date for its conferment in the address.
‘He has made Ghana his number one home’
President Mahama recalled visiting Fujian, the chairman’s home province in China, and described Mr Xu’s investments as an expression of his long-term attachment to Ghana.
“But he has made Ghana his number one home,” the President said.
He noted that the Airport Garden City ceremony followed an earlier sod-cutting for Phase II of the Sentuo refinery. The President also said the chairman had told him of plans to establish a fertiliser production plant in Ghana to serve farmers.
In his own address, Mr Xu traced Sentuo’s confidence in the country to years of working with Ghanaian employees, entrepreneurs and institutions. He cited the Group’s investments in steel, ceramics and oil refining as evidence of its commitment to patient investment and local partnerships. Sentuo Airport Garden City Critical information for the presidential opening and sod-cutting speech .docx
Investment must deliver Ghanaian opportunities
The President described Airport Garden City, according to the project brief presented to him, as a proposed $1.3 billion development. The planned facilities include residential apartments, a hotel, conferencing, healthcare, shopping, landscaped gardens and supporting commercial and leisure amenities.
His commendation of the investor was accompanied by a clear expectation that the development’s value should be measured by its contribution to the economy and the opportunities it delivers to Ghanaians, rather than the scale of its buildings alone.
“I therefore encourage the developers to treat local content not merely as a regulatory obligation, but as a central measure of the project’s success,” he said.
President Mahama called for Ghanaian engineers, architects, artisans, technicians, suppliers and other businesses to participate meaningfully in construction. Young people, he added, should benefit from apprenticeships, practical training and deliberate skills transfer.
Mr Xu, in his address, projected that the development would employ more than 3,000 people, with Ghanaians forming the majority of its workforce. He also said international specialists would be expected to share knowledge with Ghanaian colleagues so that the expertise developed through the project remains in the country. Sentuo Airport Garden City Critical information for the presidential opening and sod-cutting speech .docx
The chairman presented the development, branded “The Garden Above Accra”, as a community intended to strengthen the capital’s appeal for business, tourism and urban living. Sentuo Airport Garden City Critical information for the presidential opening and sod-cutting speech .docx
President Mahama urged the developers, consultants and contractors to uphold the required standards and work towards timely completion. He said the most important milestone would come when the development was operational and providing the benefits promised.
“The most significant occasion will be the day we return when it has been completed, fully operational, and delivering the promised benefits,” he said.
Beyond occupied apartments, hotel guests and major conferences, the President said he wanted to see tangible progress in the lives of Ghanaians.
“More importantly, I look forward to meeting Ghanaian businesses that have grown because of this project, young people who have acquired useful skills, and workers whose livelihoods have improved because of this investment,” he said.
