Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare speaking to journalists during the visit on Friday, October 3, 2025
Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has praised the Ghana National Fire Service for their swift and professional response to a fire that gutted a warehouse within the DTRT Apparel production enclave, popularly known as the Adjaben enclave in Accra on Thursday, 2nd October, 2025.
The affected warehouse, which produced carpets, curtains and other related products, was severely damaged, with millions of cedis in property lost. However, thanks to the prompt intervention of the Fire Service, the blaze was prevented from spreading to adjoining properties and buildings, including the main DTRT facility.
During a working visit to the scene on Friday, 3rd October, 2025, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare, after receiving a detailed briefing from fire officials, lauded their timely action, describing it as the reason a wider disaster was averted. She expressed relief that no lives were lost despite the scale of the destruction, stressing that while money and property can be replaced, human lives are irreplaceable.
The Minister indicated that the government will await the Fire Service’s official investigation report to determine the exact cause of the fire and to inform remedial and mitigation measures to support affected businesses and prevent future incidents.
Responding to questions on the recurrence of fire outbreaks, particularly in market spaces, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare emphasized the importance of ensuring easy accessibility for fire tenders. She noted that in this case, unhindered access to the enclave allowed fire personnel to act swiftly, thereby containing the blaze. She advised that maintaining such access in marketplaces and other high-risk areas is critical for public safety.
The Minister confirmed she had met with the property owner but explained that it was premature to disclose details of their discussions. She underscored that her immediate focus, as directed by President John Dramani Mahama, who was briefed on the matter, was to show empathy, ensure the Fire Service completed their work, and assure those affected of government’s support.
Following her inspection of the gutted warehouse, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare also visited DTRT workers to check on their welfare. She ensured that they were all provided with nose masks as a precautionary measure against the smoke still emanating from the fire site.
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare reiterated government’s commitment to working with stakeholders to strengthen safety and security standards across industrial enclaves and marketplaces to avert such disasters in the future.
