Ghana News
Here is All You Need to Know About President Mahama’s ‘New City’ Plan to Decongest Accra and Fix Flood
A 20-year vision to relocate government, create a green digital metropolis, and break the cycle of perennial flooding
In the aftermath of the June 29, 2026, torrential rains that claimed lives, displaced over 38,800 people, and submerged communities from Circle to Spintex, President John Dramani Mahama has revived an ambitious long-term solution: building a new city outside Accra.
The proposal, a 20-year project, aims to tackle the capital’s persistent flooding by addressing its root cause—overcrowding.
Here is what the plan entails and why it could be Ghana’s most consequential urban intervention in a generation.
1. The Core Logic: Decongestion as Flood Prevention
Experts have long argued that Accra’s flooding is not primarily a rainfall problem but a governance and urban planning failure. The city’s rapid urbanisation has replaced permeable land with concrete, accelerated surface runoff, and obstructed natural waterways. Decades of unchecked development in wetlands and weak enforcement of planning regulations have turned seasonal rains into humanitarian disasters.
President Mahama’s argument is straightforward: as long as everyone—individuals, businesses, and government institutions—continues to crowd into Accra, the city’s drainage systems will remain overwhelmed.
“Ultimately, the other solution will be to decongest Accra,” he stated after his aerial inspection of flood-affected communities. The new city is designed to reduce the population pressure that makes flooding inevitable.
2. The Scale: A City Spanning Three Regions
The proposed new city is not a modest satellite town. It will stretch from the Dawa Industrial Zone, incorporating the Saglemi Housing Estate, through the Bundase Military Range, into the Volta and Eastern regions. President Mahama has previously indicated that the city could span three regions—Greater Accra, Eastern, and Volta—and be situated near the Volta Lake.
The vision includes a railway link and an expressway connecting the new city to Accra, ensuring that it functions as an integrated extension of the capital rather than an isolated outpost. The government will provide essential infrastructure—roads, water, and electricity—to support the growth of the new urban centre.
3. The Vision: A Green, Digital, 24-Hour Metropolis
This is not envisioned as another chaotic, unplanned urban sprawl. The President has described the new city as a meticulously planned “Green Digital City” featuring:
- Modern drainage systems and proper sanitation—”no kiosks and containers in that city”
- Distinct enclaves for industry, residences, offices, commerce, and finance
- Tourist and amusement attractions, industrial parks, and financial services
- 24-hour economy operations, maximising productivity and economic opportunities
The city is designed to attract investment, create jobs, and serve as a model for sustainable urbanization in Ghana. Feasibility studies and design work are set to commence, with budgetary provisions already being made for the initial phases.
4. The Mechanism: Relocating Government and Creating a New Growth Centre
The strategy operates on two tracks. First, major government departments and institutions will be relocated out of Accra. This will reduce the concentration of public sector activity in the capital and ease pressure on infrastructure.
Second, a new growth centre will be created where people can live, work, and build—instead of everyone competing for scarce space in Accra. Once the land is demarcated, individuals and businesses will be able to acquire plots and begin construction. The government will provide the roads, water, and electricity to make the new city viable.
President Mahama has emphasized that much of the investment will come from the private sector and through public-private partnerships, suggesting a mixed-financing model rather than sole reliance on state coffers.
5. The Challenge: A 20-Year Horizon in a Nation Seeking Instant Relief
The most significant hurdle is the timeline. President Mahama has been candid: this is a 20-year project.
“They are still working on the designs,” he acknowledged. For the thousands of displaced families and communities submerged by the June 29 floods, 20 years offers little immediate comfort.
Critics will question whether the political will and financial commitment can be sustained across multiple administrations. Previous large-scale projects—including the Saglemi Housing Estate, which is now incorporated into this new vision—have faced delays, cost overruns, and allegations of mismanagement. The NPP has already called on President Mahama to take responsibility for the country’s recurring flooding challenges, signalling that the plan will face intense political scrutiny.
There is also the question of enforcement. Even as the new city takes shape, Accra’s population will continue to grow. Without strict land-use regulations and enforcement in the capital, the new city may simply become an additional urban centre rather than a true decongestion solution.
6. The Significance: Breaking the Cycle of Reaction
Perhaps the most important aspect of this proposal is its departure from Ghana’s traditional crisis-response approach. For years, governments have reacted to floods with relief packages, drain-clearing exercises, and temporary measures—only for the next heavy rain to bring the same devastation.
President Mahama has explicitly acknowledged this failure: “This time should be different,” he said, calling for a collective commitment to addressing the root causes of flooding in the capital. The new city represents an admission that patching up Accra’s drainage system is no longer sufficient—the city itself has reached its limits.
If successful, the plan could reposition Ghana as a leader in sustainable urban planning in West Africa. If it fails, it will join a long list of ambitious but unrealised visions for Accra’s future.
What This Means for Ghanaians
For flood victims: The GHS 300 million relief package addresses immediate needs, but the new city offers no short-term solace.
For Accra residents: The plan promises eventual relief from congestion, flooding, and the daily grind of urban chaos.
For investors: The new city presents opportunities in real estate, infrastructure, and green technology—if the government delivers on its promises.
For taxpayers: The project will require significant public investment and private-sector partnership, with all the risks that entails.
For future generations: This is a legacy project—one that will shape Ghana’s urban landscape for decades to come.
President Mahama’s revived new city plan is the most ambitious attempt yet to solve Accra’s flooding crisis by addressing its root cause: a city that has simply become too crowded for its own infrastructure.
The vision is bold, the timeline is long, and the challenges are immense. But after decades of cyclical devastation, Ghanaians may finally be having a conversation about lasting solutions rather than temporary fixes.
Ghana News
Ghana’s Nationwide Flood Clean-Up Kicks Off with Slow Start
ACCRA, Ghana – July 10, 2026 – A two-day nationwide clean-up exercise across seven flood-ravaged regions began Friday morning sluggishly.
Authorities have been urging residents, businesses, and institutions to ramp up participation as teams work to clear refuse, desilt choked drains, and restore public spaces following recent devastating floods.
The exercise, which commenced at 6:00 am local time, will run until 1:00 pm and resume on Saturday, July 11, during the same hours. While early-morning activity in several metropolitan areas was initially subdued, officials report that momentum is gradually building as local assemblies, waste management contractors, security services, and volunteer groups deploy to designated hotspots.
According to the government’s outlined schedule, the first day focuses on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), public and private institutions, educational bodies, and waste management firms.
Saturday’s phase will pivot toward community-led efforts, tapping into residents, traditional authorities, and volunteer networks to drive localized clean-up at the grassroots level.

In a bid to maximize turnout, non-essential shops, markets, and commercial establishments within the seven affected regions have been ordered to shut their doors from 6:00 am to 1:00 pm on both days, with exemptions granted only to essential and emergency service providers.
The Ministry has called on transport operators, religious groups, and corporate entities to actively back the initiative, framing it as a critical step toward restoring safe, hygienic communities after the flooding crisis.
Greater Accra, the epicenter of the recent deluge, hosts the bulk of the operation, with authorities identifying 104 flood-prone and affected locations across 17 assemblies. Key areas include, Ga South (Tetegu, STC, Mallam East, New Weija), Ga Central (Awoshie, Kolegu, Israel, A-Land), Ga North (Pokuase Footbridge, Ofankor Barrier), and Ga East (Dome Market, Abokobi Drain). In the capital’s core, heavy machinery and manual crews are converging on major drainage arteries such as Alajo, Kokomlemle, Pig Farm, Mamobi, Nima Highway, the Kanda stretch to Kawukudi, and the 37 Hospital corridor. Coastal communities like Teshie-Nungua, Prampram, Sege, and Tema West’s industrial and residential zones are also actively participating.
Despite the tepid start, authorities remain optimistic that participation will surge as the morning progresses, setting the stage for an even more robust community-driven effort on Saturday.
The exercise represents the government’s most visible response to the recent flooding emergency, mobilizing public administration and local governance structures to tackle the immediate environmental and health hazards facing affected populations.
Ghana News
Top 10 Newspaper Front Page Headlines in Ghana Today: Friday, July 10, 2026
Top 10 news stories on Ghanaian newspaper front pages dated Friday, July 10, 2026.
1. GHC350m Contingency Fund Release Controversy
- Appears in: The New Publisher, The Ghanaian Publisher, The Custodian, The Chronicle
- Summary: The Attorney General is under fire for allegedly instructing the Bank of Ghana to release GHC 350 million from the frozen Contingency Fund for flood relief, despite a court order blocking it. The Minority in Parliament is demanding a probe and blasting the AG’s “lawless” approach.
2. Abu Trica Extradited to US Over $8m Romance Scam
- Appears in: Daily Guide, Ghanaian Times, The New Publisher
- Summary: Socialite Abu Trica has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to an alleged $8 million romance fraud scheme. The extradition happened despite a lack of a court order reversing the decision on the Black Volta project (mentioned in related coverage).
3. GJA Gives NDC Chairman Seven Days to Apologise Over Obaatanpa Radio Attack
- Appears in: Supreme, Daily Guide
- Summary: The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has given the Central Regional Chairman of the NDC a seven-day ultimatum to apologise for an attack on Obaatanpa Radio. The incident has sparked significant backlash.
4. Gomoa East NPP Rallies Behind Francis Mensah for Chairman
- Appears in: Supreme, The Ghanaian Publisher, The Custodian, The Metro Lens
- Summary: The Gomoa East Constituency of the NPP is rallying to elect Francis Mensah as the next Constituency Chairman. This grassroots movement is a major story across multiple papers.
5. Azumah Resources Denies Reversal of Black Volta Project Ownership
- Appears in: News Centa, The Chronicle, Daily Guide
- Summary: Azumah Resources Ghana Ltd has refuted false media reports claiming that an ICC ruling reversed the acquisition of the Black Volta project. They insist they still own the project, calling the reports “a big lie.”
6. Amankwaa Donates GHC 100,000 Seed Fund to Ayawaso West NPP
- Appears in: Supreme, News Centa
- Summary: Samuel Owusu Amankwaa has donated GHC 100,000 as a seed fund to the Ayawaso West Wuogon NPP constituency ahead of the election of new executives.
7. North Dayi Boils Over: “Joycelyn Must Go” Protests
- Appears in: Supreme
- Summary: Residents of North Dayi are up in arms, with protests erupting under the banner “Joycelyn Must Go.” The protesters are chanting “Enough is Enough” over local grievances.
8. NHIA Cracks Down on Illegal Charges in Eastern Region
- Appears in: The Metro Lens
- Summary: The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has launched a crackdown on illegal charges being imposed on patients in the Eastern Region. The NHIA Boss is leading the effort.
9. $208m Methamphetamine Scandal
- Appears in: The Ghanaian Publisher, The Custodian
- Summary: An MP is demanding the prosecution of officials involved in a $208 million methamphetamine scandal. There are also calls for the government to name officials implicated, with accusations of a cover-up.
10. National Sanitation Exercise and Flood Recovery Clean-Up
- Appears in: Supreme, The Punch, The New Publisher, News Centa
- Summary: A nationwide clean-up exercise is underway to aid flood recovery, with various political figures and MCEs rallying residents to participate. The exercise is scheduled for the weekend, with a focus on recovery from recent floods.
Ghana News
President Mahama Backs Tighter Checks on His Own Office in Upcoming Constitution Vote
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana’s Cabinet will meet on Friday, July 10, 2026, to finalise the government’s position paper on constitutional reform.
The process is expected to recommend significant curbs on executive power, including tighter checks on the presidency itself.
The reforms stem from a year-long nationwide consultation conducted by the eight-member Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), chaired by Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, which submitted its final report to the President in December 2025.
The committee’s report, titled “Transforming Ghana: From Electoral Democracy to Developmental Democracy,” addressed perennial governance challenges and recommended measures to strengthen institutional checks and balances.
Speaking at the Jubilee House on Tuesday during a farewell ceremony for Switzerland’s outgoing Ambassador to Ghana, Simone Giger, President Mahama confirmed that significant progress had been made.
“I am pleased to inform you that we have made significant progress. Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Friday to finalise the Government’s Position Paper on the Constitutional Review,” President Mahama said.
He explained that once Cabinet concludes its work, the Legal Counsel and the Attorney-General would take one or two weeks to consolidate the document. It would then be handed over, together with the CRC’s report, to the Constitutional Review Implementation Committee to begin implementation.
President Mahama described the 1992 Constitution as one of the finest Ghana has ever had, noting that it had provided the foundation for the Fourth Republic — the longest-serving republic in the country’s history.
“We therefore believe that any amendments to the Constitution should strengthen it further and ensure that it remains a living document capable of serving Ghana effectively for the next three decades and beyond,” he said.
The Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendations are understood to include proposals to separate the Executive from the Legislature — preventing Members of Parliament from being appointed as ministers — as well as measures to decentralise power and enhance accountability.
The committee also recommended amendments to Chapter 25 of the Constitution to introduce a third route for amending entrenched provisions.
Ambassador Giger, who has supported the constitutional reform process throughout her four-year tenure in Ghana, welcomed the progress.
“We have always rooted for Ghana because we genuinely believe that constitutional reform is central to the country’s future development,” she said, adding, “If Ghana succeeds in adopting a truly people’s constitution, one that decentralises power, strengthens checks and balances on the Executive, and incorporates the many important reforms currently under consideration, I believe the future of this country will be exceptionally bright.”
President Mahama also used the occasion to acknowledge Switzerland’s support for Ghana’s small and medium enterprises, particularly in agro-processing and agribusiness, an area he described as one of the missing links in the country’s agricultural value chain.
The constitutional review process, initiated in 2025, follows two previous attempts that failed to build sufficient consensus for significant change.
The government has pledged to establish the Constitutional Review Implementation Committee to oversee the roll-out of the reforms.
Once the position paper is finalised and consolidated, it will be made public and subjected to the necessary constitutional and parliamentary scrutiny.
-
Ghana News5 hours agoGhana’s Nationwide Flood Clean-Up Kicks Off with Slow Start
-
Homes & Real Estate2 days agoInside Forte Residences: The Rise of Modern Community Living in Ghana
-
Ghana News1 day agoTop 10 Newspaper Front Page Headlines Today: Thursday, July 9, 2026
-
Ghana News1 day ago75 Bank Staff Dismissed as Fraud Surges, Safo Kantanka Left Huge Portions of His Wealth to Maids, and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today
-
Homes & Real Estate5 hours agoGhana’s Rising Home Prices: Bubble or the Cost of a Growing Nation?
-
Ghana News1 day agoPresident Mahama Backs Tighter Checks on His Own Office in Upcoming Constitution Vote
-
Ghana News5 hours agoTop 10 Newspaper Front Page Headlines in Ghana Today: Friday, July 10, 2026
-
Fashion & Style1 day agoTiwa Savage Turns a London Sidewalk Into Africa’s Latest Fashion Stage
