President John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, has pledged to start a feasibility study for building a new city outside Accra to reduce the capital’s congestion.
The plan aims to create a new growth area and generate thousands of jobs during and after construction.
Although Accra will stay the capital, Mahama believes it’s time to ease its congestion by moving some government offices and financial institutions to the new city.
Mahama suggests the future city could be located near Volta Lake, covering parts of the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Volta regions. The new city would be a green, digital hub with tourist attractions, industrial parks, and financial services, envisioned as a vibrant, 24-hour metropolis.
According to Mahama, a significant portion of the funding for the new metropolis will come from public-private partnerships and the private sector.
On Tuesday, May 28, 2024, President Mahama made these declarations in a meeting with the European Union Chamber of Commerce.
He stated:
“We will commence a feasibility study with a plan to construct a new city. Accra is grid-locked, and the time has arrived for us to relocate certain parts of the government services from Accra. Accra will remain the capital, but we will transfer a portion of it elsewhere.”
There is already available land on the Accra Plains and the opposite bank of the Volta Lake. Moreover, we are establishing a port terminal in Mpakadan to transport cargo to the northern part of the country.”
“There is abundant land in that area, allowing us to relocate some ministries, agencies, and departments out of the city and alleviate congestion,”.
The former President said, “Accra has expanded to its limits, and if we are not cautious, managing it as a sustainable city will become difficult. Thus, we will initiate the planning, design, and feasibility process. I anticipate that this project may take around 20 years to complete, but we need to take the first steps. Subsequent generations can then continue where we left off.”
During his Building Ghana Tour, the former president gave residents the assurance that the Tema industrial enclave would be decongested and that jobs would be created by moving toward the western corridor.
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