In a candid YouTube video posted to her channel, Canadian-Ghanaian content creator Rosie Mensah offered a personal account of her first six months living in Accra, describing the experience as emotionally demanding, financially straining, and far removed from the romanticized depictions she consumed before relocating.

Mensah, who was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, and has Ghanaian heritage, said she moved to Ghana after previously visiting for holidays at different times of the year. In the video, she stated that her reflections are based on her own experience and are specific to Accra.

“I’ve been living in Ghana for 6 months and I’m finally ready to talk about it,” Mensah said. “Would I recommend living in Ghana? I’m not sure. Come visit, come experience the culture, but to actually pack your bags, maybe sell your house, get rid of your place, get rid of all your belongings to move here, I don’t know if I would suggest that. And I did that.”

Emotional Toll

Mensah described the move as testing her in ways she had not anticipated. She said she experienced frequent crying and ongoing emotional difficulty, particularly as her original plan remained unclear.

“Ghana will test you in ways you’ve never been tested before. You will cry. Probably. I cried a lot. I still cry,” she said.

She identified “disillusionment” as her defining word for the six-month period and said the emotional and mental toll of relocation is often underdiscussed.

Cost of Living

Mensah said Accra is “extremely expensive” and that maintaining a comparable lifestyle requires substantially more money than in Canada.

“Whatever you think you need, multiply it by three or four,” she said. “To maintain the same, I wouldn’t even say it’s the same quality of life, but something comparable a little bit, it’s going to cost you like triple what you would pay where you’re from.”

She cited examples including a matcha priced at 150 cedis, which she said amounts to roughly 18 Canadian dollars, and Uber costs that she said can reach 200 cedis per day. She also said food prices at markets fluctuate significantly week to week, making budgeting difficult.

Infrastructure and Daily Life

Mensah listed inconsistent water and electricity, poor road conditions, and flooding when it rains as daily stressors. She said these challenges make planning difficult.

“At any point in time you might not have light, or you might not have water, or the road when it rains it gets flooded,” she said.

She also said she does not own a car and relies on Ubers, which adds up quickly.

Housing and Family Dynamics

Mensah said housing has been one of her most challenging issues. She said she has moved between several places and that her last stay was with family, which she did not recommend.

“There’s a lot of family dynamics that come up as well. You don’t often see people discuss the emotional and mental toll it takes,” she said, adding that feelings of resentment and disillusionment arose.

Food Quality and Safety

Mensah challenged the perception that produce in Ghana is universally organic, saying pesticide use is common and that imported food is widespread. She also raised concerns about food safety standards, hand-washing, and storage during power outages.

“It makes it difficult to eat well and to know what you’re putting into your body,” she said.

Employment Warning

Mensah advised against moving to Ghana without a clear plan and independent income, saying the job market is extremely difficult even for highly qualified Ghanaians.

“Trying to find a job in Ghana, no, don’t even bother. People who are born and raised here, people who have numerous accolades, people are so brilliant, can’t even find work. And if they find work, they’re getting paid 2,000 cedis a month,” she said.

Romanticization of Accra

Mensah said she watched extensive YouTube and TikTok content before moving but still felt unprepared. She argued that much of the content about moving to Ghana romanticizes the experience.

“Accra, let me say Accra. It’s romanticized. And not to say that’s not the real experience of people that make these videos… But I do not think we see a lot of the other side,” she said.

The Positives

Mensah also shared what she has appreciated about living in Ghana. She said she has not shopped for clothes in six months and has realized she does not need as much material possessions. She said she enjoys the social ease of Ghanaian culture.

“People just have a good time. People just like to have fun. They let things roll off their shoulders,” she said.

She added that she has built a community of both local Ghanaians and fellow returnees, which she described as valuable.

At a Crossroads

Mensah said she is now deciding whether to stay in Ghana or return to Canada. She said she does not regret the move but might have done things more gradually.

“I don’t have regrets making the move. But I think maybe I would have done things a bit differently. Maybe done something a little bit more gradually,” she said.

She said it is common for people to move to Ghana for four to six months and then return home.

Advice for Others

Mensah’s central advice is to have multiple backup plans and sufficient financial resources before relocating.

“Have a plan A, plan B, plan C, plan D, plan E. Because the first four plans are probably not going to work, but you need to know what you’re coming here for,” she said.

She said she does not recommend moving for emotional reasons alone.

“It’s not enough to come based on vibes and emotions,” she said, while acknowledging that visiting Ghana is worthwhile. “Ghana’s a vibe. But, to actually make the move and to live, that’s another conversation.”

Ghana’s Cabinet has approved plans to transform the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI) into a fully-fledged Ghana Space Agency, marking a significant step toward strengthening the West African nation’s participation in the emerging global space economy.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings, at a press conference in Accra. She said the initiative forms part of her First 100 Days Public Engagement Agenda, aimed at moving Ghana’s space science and technology agenda from aspiration to implementation.

A Stronger Institutional Framework

The proposed agency is expected to provide a more robust institutional framework for coordinating Ghana’s space activities. Its mandate will include developing national space programmes, promoting research and innovation, facilitating public-private partnerships, and strengthening international cooperation. It will also support the development of space infrastructure and related technologies.

“The transformation would provide the country with the appropriate legal, institutional, technical and operational framework to coordinate its space activities,” Dr Agyemang-Rawlings said.

Legislative Process Underway

Following Cabinet’s approval, processes are already underway to draft a Bill for the establishment of the agency. The legislation will provide the legal foundation for the new body, which will replace the current institute structure.

The move signals Ghana’s ambition to position itself as a serious player in Africa’s growing space sector, joining countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt that have established national space agencies.

Key Facts

• Location: Accra, Ghana
• Current Body: Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI)
• Proposed Body: Ghana Space Agency
• Approval: Cabinet has approved the transformation plan
• Next Step: Drafting of a Bill for parliamentary consideration
• Minister: Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology
• Objectives: Coordinate space activities, develop national space programmes, promote research and innovation, facilitate public-private partnerships, strengthen international cooperation, and develop space infrastructure

What was billed as an anti-flood operation has instead exposed a bitter land dispute, leaving businesses destroyed, a lawmaker in tears, and government officials scrambling to distance themselves from the chaos

The pre-dawn demolition of beachfront structures near one of Ghana’s most iconic hotels has ignited a political firestorm, with a senior government official insisting the controversial operation was not a state-led flood mitigation exercise but a private request from the Labadi Beach Hotel.

Stan Xoese Dogbe, Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations and leader of the Anti-Flood Taskforce, broke his silence on Friday, October 2, 2026, after videos of military personnel pulling down structures at La Pleasure Beach circulated widely on social media.

“Let’s not get it twisted. Friday’s action along a section of the beachfront was not a Flood Mitigation Action by the government task force,” Dogbe wrote on Facebook.

A 4 a.m. Operation

Personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces’ 48 Engineer Regiment, supported by the Ghana Police Service, arrived at the site around 4 a.m. on Friday, October 2, 2026, ordering workers and residents to vacate within minutes.

“We were given two weeks’ notice to start packing, but we thought it was a joke,” one worker told the Ghanaian Times, describing the scene as structures came down roughly 15 minutes after the evacuation order.

Among the hardest-hit businesses were the Polo Beach Club and Pera Beach, popular entertainment venues near the Labadi Beach Hotel. The Polo Beach Club, valued at over GH¢41 million in 2023, was described as “the single most expensive and most luxurious beach club on the La beachfront”.

Dogbe’s Clarification

Dogbe said the operation was conducted under National Security supervision following a formal request from Labadi Beach Hotel, which had raised concerns that the structures were “adversely affecting the safety, tranquillity and reputation of the Hotel”.

“These are structures, some permanently built (Polo Beach Club and others) on the beach in front of the hotel,” he said, adding that the hotel complained the businesses were “diminishing the visitor experience and undermining the orderly management of one of Ghana’s most important tourism destinations”.

He drew a sharp distinction between the beachfront demolition and the government’s actual flood mitigation work, which he said was ongoing at Kpeshie Lagoon, East Legon Boundary Road, Oyarifa, and behind Mayfair Estates.

MP Confronts Military

La Dadekotopon Member of Parliament Rita Naa Odoley Sowah arrived at the scene and confronted military personnel, demanding to know why the demolition was proceeding despite what she said were assurances that the area would be spared.

“It is the Labadi Beach Hotel, with their board chairman, who is leading this exercise. Government has no knowledge of it,” she said.

The MP also alleged that some military personnel were firing shots and wielding guns while directing people to leave. “What is it, do you want to kill us? What has La done?” she asked.

Legal Dispute at the Heart

The demolition is the latest chapter in a bitter legal battle between the Labadi Beach Hotel and Spartan-Ives Limited, operators of the Polo Beach Club, over ownership of the contested beachfront land.

According to court documents filed in September 2026, Spartan-Ives acquired a 20-year lease of the disputed land from the La Stool in June 2022 for GH¢1.5 million. The company alleges the hotel has been “waging war” against it, denying access and now using connections to National Security to circumvent judicial proceedings.

The lawsuit specifically names Richard Jakpa, Director of Special Operations at the National Security Council Secretariat, accusing him of “hiding behind the Secretariat” to carry out the hotel’s “extra judicial and unlawful bidding”.

Polo Beach Club’s management had previously resisted a vacate directive, arguing the ownership dispute was before the courts and should be resolved through judicial process before any demolition.

Workers Left in Distress

The demolition has devastated livelihoods. Workers and residents were seen attempting to recover belongings from rubble, with some reportedly in tears as their sources of income crumbled.

“Since you guys want us to steal, we will steal,” one disgruntled worker told reporters. “When the foreigners come, we will ‘kwashey’ them physically”.

Dogbe, however, framed the demolition as necessary for sanitation and security reasons, questioning whether the hotel was justified in reclaiming its beachfront.

“We must all be concerned about the serious sanitation issues that these unauthorised and unregulated commercial operations cause, in addition to the security risks,” he said.