National framework to guide Ghana’s urban transition launched

A national framework to steer the urban transition of the country toward a greener, more inclusive, resilient and prosperous future has been launched in Accra.

Known as the Sustainable Cities Strategy for Ghana (SCSG), the plan which was initiated by the government through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs with support from the World Bank, is to help address the urbanisation challenges of the country and achieve the vision of the country for the future of its cities.

These included transforming urban areas into inclusive communities where people from all walks of life and backgrounds could find equal opportunities and employment, and ensuring sustainable living standards, access to affordable housing, improved urban mobility, climate resilience and the participation of citizens in local governance.

The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, who launched the document, said “We aim to focus our attention on the following strategic actions to guide our urban transformation by focusing on  metropolitan areas that showed indications of unsustainable  growth patterns and provide tailored interventions.

Background

Like many nations across the global south, Ghana is rapidly urbanising, with over 56.7 per cent of the population said to reside in urban areas. The figure is expected to increase significantly to about  60.7 per cent by 2030.

Cities in the country are growing not only in population but also in complexity and influence, representing enormous opportunities for  economic growth, innovations and social transformation.

Despite these opportunities, uncontrolled and uncoordinated urban growth brings profound challenges ranging from inadequate  infrastructure, housing deficits, environmental degradation,  rising inequality in governance and service delivery gaps.

It is against this backdrop that the government of Ghana, through the  Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and supported by the World Bank developed the Sustainable Cities Strategy for Ghana (SCSG). 

Document

Mr Ibrahim said the strategy complemented the revised  National Urban Policy (NUP), which together provided a  coherent framework for guiding urban development, mobilising resources and building institutional capacity to shift the trajectory of  urban growth in the country.

He said sustainable urban development  could not be achieved by government alone since it required the active participation of local authorities, including the MMDAs, traditional authorities, religious leaders, civil society organisations, private sector and communities or citizens.

“We, therefore, aim to leverage on this strategy to incorporate people-centred smart cities approaches, ensuring that digital  infrastructure and services are accessible, inclusive, and transparent,” he added  and stressed the need to deepen accountable and transparent governance and  promotion of social cohesion and engagements in cities and towns.

He said sustainable cities were not just about buildings and roads but about people, and called for the building of cities that were inclusive, prosperous, green and liveable for all.

Development plans

He said the ministry was committed to work closely with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and all stakeholders to mainstream the strategy into development  plans, investment programmes and monitoring systems.

He, therefore, urged the youth to show more interest in the strategy and be active participants in “building the cities of  tomorrow.”

The World Bank Division Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Western and Central Africa, Dr Robert Taliercio, for his part indicated that the strategy was a tangible marker of a multi-year collaboration between the government of Ghana and the World Bank.

He said Ghana had experienced a remarkable structural transformation over the past three decades, thereby becoming one of the most urbanised countries in sub-saharan Africa with 57 per cent of its population now living in urban areas.

He said by 2050, this urban population would more than double, and that accommodating these new urban residents required constructing the equivalent of three new Greater Kumasi metropolitan areas.

Touching on the solutions, he said, given the rapid spatial expansion of the cities and the continued development of informal settlements, current urban policies and their enforcement needed to be strengthened.

Mr Taliercio further called for the strengthening of institutions, and said the decentralised administration system of the country had strengthened over the past 10 years, but most decisions and financial resources were still controlled at the national level.

He expressed the commitment of the World Bank to support the implementation of the GSCS to ensure that the urban areas of the country grew in a way that was green, resilient, more inclusive and prosperous for all.