A new city to be constructed to ease congestion in Accra — Mahama proposes

In a bold move to tackle the escalating urban congestion in Accra, John Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has proposed the construction of a new city.

This ambitious project aims to alleviate the overcrowding and infrastructural strain that Accra currently faces, providing a sustainable and modern solution to urban living.

Mahama’s proposal for a new city aims to create a well-planned, sustainable urban area that can serve as a model for future development in Ghana.

He promised to commence a feasibility study for the construction of a new city outside Accra to alleviate the growing congestion.

He said it is time to decongest the city by relocating some government ministries, departments, agencies, and financial institutions to the new city.

He emphasized the need to decongest Accra by relocating certain government ministries, departments, agencies, and financial institutions to the new city. According to him, this future city could span three regions—Greater Accra, Eastern, and Volta—and be located near the Volta Lake.

The new city would be a green, digital metropolis featuring tourist and amusement attractions, industrial parks, and financial services, envisioned as a vibrant 24-hour city.

Mahama mentioned that much of the investment for the new city would come from the private sector and through public-private partnerships.

He made these announcements during an interaction with the European Union Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.

He said “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.

He stated that there is already available land on the Accra plains and the opposite bank of the Volta Lake, adding that the NDC is establishing a port terminal in Mpakadan to transport cargo to the northern part of the country.