The Local Government Ministry is embarking on a project to enhance the outlook of all urban centers across the country.
According to the Ministry, proper planning of urban and peri-urban areas will attract continuous investment in the form of international trade.
Deputy Minister for Local Government, Baba Jamal, speaking at a consultative workshop on the Ghana Urbanization Review, stated that a joint effort by the populace and local authorities is needed to improve upon major cities nationwide.
“We want to see each city develop its own vision, meanwhile linking it with others and ensuring that we have a harmonized system of development”, he said.
The Ghana Urbanization Review comprises research (primary and secondary) conducted by the government which seeks to examine the pace and form of urbanization in Ghana.
It is a joint effort of the government of Ghana, World Bank, with funding support from the Swiss government.
The Minister went on further to encourage Ghanaians to view urbanization holistically to accelerate development.
This, according to him, will uncover bottlenecks in the system that needs to be addressed make our cities better.
Some of the bottlenecks that he mentioned include traffic, congested cities and poor waste management.
He ended by highlighting the need for Ghana to adopt methods and strategies that have worked for prominent cities globally to change the phase of urbanization.
“We will have to learn best practices from other places, but Ghana is unique and we have our own vision for this country. I hope the conclusions of the review will eventually culminate flagship urban infrastructure investments to bring massive transformational changes in our cities,” he added.
Representatives from the World Bank and the Swiss Embassy who were also present at the workshop provided brief addresses on the changing dynamics of Ghana’s urban sector such as increased urban population.
The World Bank has been instrumental in the development of urbanization in the country; it has provided financial support to the government of Ghana to enhance this sector for about 25 years.
By: Afua Kesewa Akoto/citifmonline.com/Ghana