By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has begun stakeholder engagements with tenants of its commercial buildings in the Central Business District (CBD) on plans to redevelop low-rise structures into modern multi-storey facilities under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The engagement, held at the Naa Dedei Omaedru III Hall, was led by the Mayor of Accra, Hon Michael Kpakpo Allotey, who explained that the redevelopment project is aimed at tackling chronic congestion in the city’s core by “building vertically.”
According to the mayor, all low-rise AMA-owned commercial buildings will be reconstructed into high-rise structures to create more space for traders currently operating on streets and pavements. He cited a recently completed PPP project as proof of the model’s success, adding that private investors will finance and construct the facilities.
As part of the process, the AMA will conduct a comprehensive data collection exercise to document all current tenants using Ghana Card details, photographs, and shop records. Mayor Allotey emphasised that this would create a verified tenant register, ensuring fairness and transparency in reallocation after the projects are completed.
“We need to engage you to have a discussion on the way forward,” the mayor told tenants, urging them to cooperate and “work within the timelines.” He noted that the projects are expected to be completed within five months, with ground-floor shops delivered in two months to minimise disruptions to trading activities.
The mayor assured tenants that their right to return would be respected, describing their rent payments as a vital revenue stream for the Assembly. He also referenced a recent fatal incident at the COCOBOD enclave, where a pedestrian lost her life after being forced onto the road due to street trading. He said the tragedy highlighted the urgency of decongesting pavements and improving pedestrian safety.
While tenants welcomed the redevelopment plans, some expressed concern about the one-month deadline to vacate their shops. They requested written assurances of reallocation, citing past cases where traders were denied access to redeveloped facilities.
The meeting, attended by the Metro Coordinating Director, Mr Douglas N.K. Annoful, and the Metro Security Coordinator, ended with an agreement to hold further consultations on reallocation terms and to provide written guarantees addressing tenant concerns.
