Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has announced a plan to initiate a feasibility study for constructing a new city outside Accra, aiming to address the growing congestion in Ghana’s capital.
Speaking at an event hosted by the European Union Chamber of Commerce, Mahama outlined his vision for a new urban growth pole that would create thousands of jobs during both the construction phase and after its completion.
Mahama emphasized that while Accra will remain the nation’s capital, there is a pressing need to decongest the city by relocating some government ministries, departments, agencies, and financial institutions to the proposed new city.
"Accra is getting grid-locked, the time has come for us to move some parts of the government services out of Accra," he stated.
The envisioned new city would span the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Volta regions, and be located near the Volta Lake.
"Accra will continue to be the capital, but we will move part of it outside. There is land on the Accra Plains and on the other bank of the Volta Lake," Mahama explained.
Highlighting the potential of the area, Mahama noted the ongoing development of a port terminal at Mpakadan, which will facilitate cargo movement to northern Ghana.
"There is a lot of land there, and we can move some of the ministries, agencies, and departments out of the city to decongest Accra," he added.
Mahama acknowledged that the project would be a long-term endeavor, spanning 20 years.
"Accra has expanded to its limits. If we are not careful, it will be difficult to continue managing it as a viable city. We will start the plan, the design, and the feasibility study. I believe this will be a project that will take 20 years to fulfill, but we need to start somewhere," he said, emphasizing the need for future administrations to continue the project.
In addition to his urban planning vision, Mahama briefly addressed public health, advocating for a return to traditional foods like ‘gobɛ,’ koko, and koose, while discouraging the consumption of energy drinks, echoing recent comments by Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa.
Mahama’s proposal has sparked discussions about the future of urban development in Ghana and the potential benefits of decongesting Accra.
As the feasibility study begins, Ghanaians will be watching closely to see how this ambitious plan unfolds.
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
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