10 impressive mega construction projects in Ghana 2021
Ghana, is a west African country which spans the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean
to the south, sharing borders with the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north,
and Togo in the east. With over 31 million people, Ghana is the second-most populous
country in West Africa, after Nigeria. The capital and largest city is Accra; other major
cities include Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi. Ghana is an average natural resource enriched
country possessing industrial minerals, hydrocarbons and precious metals. It is an emerging designated
digital economy with mixed economy hybridization and an emerging market. It has an economic
plan target known as the "Ghana Vision 2020". This plan envisions Ghana as the first African
country to become a developed country between 2020 and 2029 and a newly industrialized country
between 2030 and 2039. To see this happen they are constructing a lot of infrastructure
to aid in the realization of this dream. Most innovative architects in Ghana have set out
to respond to one of society’s greatest challenges: designing a world today that can
adapt to a radically different tomorrow. From energy and power to healthcare, Ghana has
a well-balanced range of projects that have broken ground. Welcome to Thinkrich media
the community which brings to you entrepreneurial, business and personal development content
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development playlist because we strongly believe entrepreneurship rather than global pity id
the key to Africa’s growth and development, so if you’re African and you aren’t subscribed
to our community you are missing out. 10. Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Museum
In 1879, a Ghanaian agriculturalist called Tetteh Quarshie brought some cocoa seeds back
from an expedition to Equatorial Guinea and planted them in his village. Ghana would go
on to produce more than half of the world’s cocoa supply at one point. Now, a group of
architects hopes to build a cocoa museum in his honour.The establishment of the Cocoa
museum is in line with the vision of the government to promote local consumption of cocoa. Lebanese-Ghanaian
firm KEY Architectural Group is hoping to revive the Ghanaian village of Mampong while
celebrating its past and aiding its economic upliftment.
The founders of KEY, have conceptualised the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Museum, which they plan
to build on the farm where the first cocoa seeds were planted in Ghana. The area holds
particular significance in the story of Ghana’s economic growth. The plans, which were commissioned
by Ghana’s tourism department, includes the museum itself, an amphitheatre, a multipurpose
hall, a restaurant, landscaped gardens and a factory. The design also proposes that the
whole process – from cocoa harvesting through to fermentation, roasting and manufacturing
– be accommodated at the site. 9. Pakwasi interexchange
The project, which is the first of its kind in the West Africa region and second only
to South Africa in the whole of Africa begun on July 3, 2018 after a sod-cutting ceremony
presided over by Yaw Osafo-Maafo, a Senior Minister of Ghana. The Pokwasi Interchange
Project is being constructed in Ga North Municipal District, one of the twenty-nine districts
in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. The project is being executed under the Accra Urban Transport
Project and supervised by the DUR under the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Awoshie-Pokwasi
interchange project is mainly aimed at removing the traffic jam at the Pokwasi ACP junction
by preventing streams of traffic conflicting with one another from the Awoshie-Pokwasi
and Accra-Kumasi roads. Apart from the main interchange, there are also a number of ancillary
works incorporated into the project to provide improvement and upgrade of adjoining communities.
They include the construction of drains, a little over 10-km of town roads, two footbridges
that come with a ramp for the physically challenged, and a tunnel to serve water to communities
that are not connected to the Ghana Water Company Ltd network. Provision of road signs
and other traffic management and safety features such as crash barriers, handrails, road line
markings, Traffic lights, zebra crossings, laybys, and street lighting have also been
factored into the project. 8. Accra Sky Train
The Accra sky train will be the first of its kind to grave the African continent. The Ghanaian
government compromised on a deal with the African investment sky train consortium to
build the $2.6 bn light railway network back in 2019 to align the nation’s ambition to
rehabilitate, upgrade and advance its dysfunctional railway system. Casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic,
construction work on the Accra Sky Train, Ghana’s first light rail project, was delayed.
Construction work will commence with the government’s approval and this is expected to happen in
September this year and developed over three phases. The project is envisioned to aid with
Accra’s agonizing traffic since the sky train has the capacity to hold about 380000
passengers each day. The Ghana Ministry of Railway Development is the client, and Wilson
Bayly Holmes and Ovcon will do construction work.
7. The Signature Accra’s landscape will witness a truly world-class
development when the top-of-range design of The Signature towers into the skyline in the
coming months. The Signature, which is developed by CapeMay Properties, blends modern architectural
and engineering concepts with a unique African design in a way that makes it both striking
and inspiring. The signature is located in a prime location close to the Kotoka international
airport, Accra mall and airport city. A gorgeous cluster of luxury infused into two pairs of
identical towers located in the Accra. The infrastructure is unique and conveys a message
of strength and resilience inspire by Ghana’s adinkar emblem. The frame work will consist
of 209 apartments. The concept of the signature laces its sophisticated architectural spectacle
with a number of resourceful amenities such as gyms, yoga, ballet spaces and pool side
bars complimenting the swimming pool and an indoor and outdoor play ground displaying
a reasonable amount of flora. The 13th floor is estimated to cost about 50 million dollars.
Construction is expected to be completed this year.
6. Assembly plant The ceremony took place at Toyota Tsusho Manufacturing
Company Limited at Freezones Enclave, Tema. Ichiro Kashitani, president and chief executive
officer of Toyota Tsusho Corporation, announced in 2019 that the company will start assembling
its vehicles in Ghana from August 2020. The decision to establish the assembling plant
in Ghana was announced at the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7),
in Japan, where President Muhamadu Buhari had, in a meeting with Kshitani, asked Toyota
to establish a plant in Nigeria. Akufo-Addo had said the signing of the MoU with Toyota
Tsusho falls in line with the vision of making Ghana an automotive hub for West Africa and
the larger African market. He said Ghana is the base to reach the larger African market
with the coming into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Speaking
at the event, Akufo-Addo said he is pleased that the siting of the plant has become a
reality despite claims by some persons that it was only a hoax “which will never see
the light of day”. Akufo-Addo said: “Government attaches great importance to the development
of the automobile industry in Ghana. “By assembling and ultimately producing cars in
Ghana, the importation of second hand used cars in Ghana will be reduced and at the same
time, the export of made in Ghana cars to other African markets will earn our nation
the much needed foreign exchange.” Also speaking, Alan Kyerematen, Ghana minister
for trade and industry, said the establishment of the plant in the country is a step towards
the local manufacturing of cars in Ghana. “In Africa, we import millions of dollars
of cars. I’m very confident that with what we’re doing here, very soon, we will see
made-in-Ghana cars all around Africa. The industry will create highly skilled jobs and
promote training opportunities for the youth of our country. It will also have multiplying
effect by stimulating the growth of other sectors of our economy,” Kyerematen said.
Volkswagen, Nissan, Sinotruck and Katanka are other vehicle brands have sited assembly
plants in Ghana. In April, Hyundai and KIA, South Korean multinational automotive manufacturers,
announced plans to establish assembly plants in Ghana by the end of 2022.
5. Kumasi international airport expansion Kumasi International Airport (IATA: KMS) located
in Kumasi, the capital city of Ashanti, Ghana, is operated by the Government of Ghana. The
airport offers international and domestic aviation services to passengers in the Ashanti
region and nearby areas. It is regarded as one of the busiest international airports
in the country. Known for its regional airline operations, the airport is undergoing an expansion
to transform it into a full-fledged international airport. The expansion project forms part
of the multi-modal transportation system being developed by the government to enhance tourism
in the Ashanti Region. The airport has witnessed a steady rise in passenger traffic over the
recent years. The expansion will also serve the growing demand by adding capacity to serve
international passengers. The expansion project at Kumasi International Airport is being carried
out in two phases. A $29m rehabilitation project was carried out under phase one by December
2014. Aeronautical ground lighting systems were installed and the existing runway was
rehabilitated under the project. Ground-breaking for the €66.35m ($75.23m) second phase of
the expansion project was held in November 2018. Phase two involves construction of a
new passenger terminal and multiple service facilities at the airport. The new terminal
will have the capacity to handle more than one million passengers a year upon its completion.
The existing runway will be extended from the current length of 1,981m to 2,300m, enabling
the airport to accommodate wide-body aircraft such as Boeing 737-800.
4. Ghana's solar powered airport Ghana’s airports will soon go green thanks
to a government project that aims to equip every airport in the country with solar power
plants to supply electricity. In order to implement this project, the Ghanaian government
has sought Indian expertise. It is within this framework that Joseph Kofi Adda, the
Ghanaian Minister of Aviation recently received the Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, Sugandh
Rajaram. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the progress of the Ghanaian government’s
project. The authorities of this West African country have already signed a partnership
agreement with Cochin International Airport in the southern Indian state of Kerala. This
is the world’s largest and first airport powered solely by solar energy, with a 40
MWp photovoltaic solar power plant. “A team from Cochin International Airport came to
Ghana and assessed the country’s airports to determine the cost of the project and the
amount of an Exim Bank of India financing facility of about $10 million that would be
used to convert all the country’s airports to solar power,” said Ghana’s Aviation
Minister Joseph Kofi Adda. Kotoka International Airport in Ghana is likely to be the first
to benefit from the solar project for the country’s airports. The authorities intend
to build a solar power plant with a capacity of 6 MWp. Kotoka is Ghana’s largest airport,
serving the capital Accra, with a capacity of more than one million passengers a year.
The Ghanaian Ministry of Aviation estimates that solar power could cut airport electricity
bills by up to 30 percent. Green energy will also reduce the carbon footprint of Ghana’s
airports. 3. Petronia City Project
Petronia City is the vision of CEO and Founder of Wonda World Estates, Nana Kwame Bediako.
Designed around the ideology of ‘work, live, learn and play’, Petronia City is a self-sustaining,
master-planned, integrated city. It will attract, retain and support businesses, human capital
needs and elevate Ghana’s Western Region into a world-class business location, tourist
destination and home. The city’s 2000-acre development will include residential, office,
industrial, commercial, leisure, and hospitality space. It will be the first at the heart of
the Western Region of Ghana, home to the country’s rapidly growing oil, gas and mining industries.
The Petronia City project will unroll in 3 phases over the next 10 years. It kicked off
in October 2013 with full acquisition of construction machinery and equipment. It was then followed
by clearing of about 200 acres of the site as well as the access roads and service areas.
Phase 1 of the project consists of a 70-acre prototype of the entire development beginning
with the construction of world-class basic infrastructure such as; Electricity, Water
system, Sewage treatment, Storm water drainage, Parking & Bus terminal, Master planned road
network, Data/telecom networks and Development of commercial and residential facilities which
include: 4 star Hotel – 150 rooms with 200 seat conference facility, 4 office blocks
– 22,000sq meters, Recreational Center, Shopping Mall, Schools and Clinics, 25 three
and four Bedroom Executive Villas, and 140 studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments.
Phase 2a of the project will see the development of West Africa’s first Energy City, the
main business hub and office park for international key players in the oil and gas and mining
sectors. Located in the center of the Commercial Zone, Energy City will provide the opportunity
for industry leaders in oil and gas and mining exploration, production and related support
services to work in close proximity with one another and form a more efficient business
community by taking advantage of shared resources, technology transfer and enhanced flow of information.
In Phase 2b Golf City will be established. The first of its kind in West Africa, Petronia
City’s Golf City will be a golf-centered community and tourist destination attracting
visitors from around the world. Golf City will consist of luxury villas and apartments,
boutique hotels, a clubhouse, retail shops and restaurants set in 365 acres of lush landscape,
creating a unique experience for residents and visitors. Golf City will be home to the
only 18-hole World Class Championship Golf Course in the region. Phase 2c will develop
the city’s light and heavy industrial zones. These zones will house facilities for power
production, water treatment, recycling plants, and aluminum and bauxite production. The light
and heavy industrial zones will provide state of the art infrastructure, reliable power
and proximity to resources and consumers for companies looking to expand or enter industrial
production. Phases 3 and 4 will expand on the city’s residential, commercial and recreational
facilities, civic institutions and landscaping. Highlights of the additional development will
include a world-class transportation hub, multi-purpose stadium and an Oil and Gas University.
2. Ghana National Cathedral The Ghana National Cathedral is envisioned
as a “physical embodiment of unity, harmony and spirituality”. Drawing reference from
both Christian symbolism and traditional Ghanaian heritage such as the nation’s seat of power
the Stool, as well as the shade of celestial authority -the Boaman ceremonial canopies
and the Tabernacle the new cathedral takes these symbols of royal and religious veneration
and democratizes them from the individual to the people. Adjaye Associates’ concept
for the new Ghana National Cathedral establishes a unique, 21st century landmark where religion,
democracy and local tradition are seamlessly and symbolically intertwined. Conceived as
a physical embodiment of unity, harmony and spirituality, the National Cathedral will
be a rich, authentic celebration of Ghanaian tradition and culture and a place of inspiration,
reflection and common devotion. Its form derives from traditional symbols of worship and veneration,
drawing reference from both Christian symbolism and traditional Ghanaian heritage. Emblems
like the nation’s seat of power ‘the Stool’, the shade of celestial authority -‘the Boaman’,
ceremonial canopies, and ‘the Tabernacle’ inspire the configuration. The new cathedral
takes these symbols of royal and religious veneration and democratizes them from the
individual to the people. The cathedral will be situated within 14 acres of newly landscaped
gardens adjacent to Osu Cemetery. It will house a series of impressive chapels, a baptistery,
a 5000-seat two-level auditorium, a grand central hall, music school, choir rehearsal,
art gallery, shop and multi-use spaces. It will also be home to Africa’s first Bible
Museum and Documentation Centre, dedicated to Christianity and nation-building in Ghana.
For the interiors Adjaye Associates will collaborate with some of the most celebrated and progressive
Ghanaian and African artists to create the cathedral’s religious adornment and furnishings.
A new ceremonial route and landscape will be linking the Cathedral site to Ghana’s
prominent, celebratory landmarks – Independence Square, Osu Cemetery, the State House and
Africa Unity Circle. 1. The Marine Drive project
The marine drive project is a Public-Private Partnership project; it is a 241-acre redevelopment
scheme of Accra’s waterfront initiated by Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The brief for the project — the origins of which trace back to the country’s independence
60 years ago — called for a scheme that would establish an iconic skyline for Accra
and transform the capital’s city center into a world-class tourism enclave. The Marine
Drive will also provide essential infrastructure to support the country’s developing cultural
and creative industries. Adjaye Associates’ plan introduces a new waterfront promenade
that reimagines the coast as a vibrant leisure and recreation space. The promenade will extend
across the site, creating a seamless link between the capital city’s most celebrated
landmarks and unlocking access to the city’s beachfront. This new public infrastructure
will be punctuated by three civic anchors, each of which celebrates Ghana’s rich history.
At the heart of the promenade will be a new centerpiece public park honoring the forefathers
of Ghanaian independence. Extending from Independence Square down to the waterfront, this park will
culminate in a coastal overlook that offers sweeping, dramatic vistas across this part
of the Gulf of Guinea. Anchoring the promenade on East will be The National Concert Hall,
a new cultural hub and public convention center envisioned next to Nkrumah’s monument. Meanwhile,
the West end of the promenade will terminate at the rejuvenated and refurbished Osu Castle
and grounds. These three anchors form a framework for subsequent phases of new mixed-use beachfront
developments. Together, they will establish a defining skyline for Ghana’s capital and
initiate commercial, office, leisure and retail infrastructure aimed at harnessing the tourism
sector as a transformative economic force for the benefit of the country and her people.
By comparison, Ghana has one of the most active construction markets in Africa. There are
more than $42 billion of active construction projects, of which more than 42 per cent are
transport infrastructure. After watching this video I hope you see the potential Africa
posses, so... be a proud African and work each day to make your continent a better place.
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