President John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has unveiled plans to conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a new city outside Accra to alleviate the growing congestion in the capital.
Speaking during an interaction with the European Union Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, Mahama emphasized the need to create a new growth pole and generate thousands of jobs through this initiative. While Accra will remain the capital, the former President believes it is time to decongest the city by relocating some government ministries, departments, agencies, and financial institutions to the new city.
The proposed city, which could span three regions – Greater Accra, Eastern, and Volta – and be situated near the Volta Lake, would be a green, digital metropolis featuring tourist and amusement attractions, industrial parks, and financial services. Mahama envisions it as a 24-hour city that never sleeps.
“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,” Mahama stated.
He highlighted that available land on the Accra Plains and the opposite bank of the Volta Lake, as well as the establishment of a port terminal in Mpakadan to transport cargo to the northern part of the country, make this project feasible.
“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,” Mahama explained.
The former President also assured citizens of decongesting the industrial enclave of the Tema area towards the western corridor for industrialization and job creation during his Building Ghana Tour.
