A young innovator, Desmond Davies, is calling on government, corporate institutions, and well-meaning Ghanaians to support his dream of mass-producing his locally invented barrel freezer, a creative and eco-friendly solution designed from scratch in New Takoradi.
In an exclusive interview on Spice FM, Davies revealed that his innovation, popularly known as the “Kingsway”, is not only more durable than conventional fridges but also chills faster and consumes less electricity. Despite its potential, he says financial challenges remain his biggest obstacle to reaching mass production.
“We’re running at a loss selling one for GH¢1,800, but we’re doing it because we want people to see the value and support us,” he said. “With the right support, this can go global. In five to ten years, we want this to be one of the innovations that Ghana can boast of.”
Desmond, who studied refrigeration at Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI) and later acquired basic electrical engineering skills, said the idea was born out of his passion to merge his knowledge into something useful for society. He had no funding initially, so he took on construction jobs to raise money for materials.
His first attempt, however, was costly. “I spent over GH¢9,000 and ended up wasting the barrels because I didn’t get it right,” he recalled. “But I didn’t give up. Even when I stopped working for a while, some women in the area who were used to my daily efforts asked why I wasn’t coming to work. That alone motivated me to finish what I started.”
After completing the first prototype, he gave it to a friend to test its durability at the beach and the results were impressive. “It worked for two years straight, and even though the parts have been dismantled, they’re still usable,” he said.
Davies believes the innovation can help transform lives, especially in low-income communities. He hopes to train street and ghetto youth, not only to create jobs but also to reduce social vices. “This can be a platform to develop their talents and put Ghana on the map,” he stated.
He also expressed his desire to meet the President of Ghana to discuss how this invention can be scaled and adopted nationally. Currently, the project has gained some attention on social media and is enjoying support from the local community, as well as Takoradi MP, Hon. Gabby Otchere-Darko, and close friends.
“We need more capital to begin mass production,” Davies appealed. “So keep supporting and patronising. That’s the only way we’ll rise to the top and show the world what Ghana can do.”
