By: Franklin Asare-Donkoh
The Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, has raised concern over the increasing concentration of Ghana’s economic activity and foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Greater Accra Region.
Dr. Thompson, speaking in an interview on Accra-based Channel One TV’s current affairs programme The Point of View yesterday, Monday, October 27, 2025, described the worrisome trend as a result of weak long-term national planning.
According to the Chairman of the NDPC, the Greater Accra Region alone currently accounts for 86 percent of the country’s total FDI and 37 percent of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), far surpassing other regions in economic contribution.
“Pretty much everything is Accra,” Dr. Thompson said, pointing to the widening regional imbalance. “Not long ago, about 10 or 15 years ago, Greater Accra was 80 percent, and Ashanti was 10 percent. Now Ashanti is down to 9 percent and Accra is up to 86 percent.”
He noted that regions such as Western, Northern, Bono East, and Upper East each attract only about 1 percent of national FDI, further highlighting the uneven spread of investment and development opportunities.
According to Dr. Thompson, this imbalance is a direct consequence of Ghana’s lack of a coherent long-term development vision that ensures equitable growth across all regions.
“That is because we have no strategic vision of anything we do. That is why we say, let’s embrace long-term planning,” he said.
The NDPC Chairman explained that without a clear national framework for regional economic development, Ghana risks deepening spatial inequality and overburdening urban infrastructure in Accra.
He reiterated the Commission’s call for a coordinated long-term national development plan that promotes balanced regional growth, enhances infrastructure outside the capital, and creates sustainable opportunities across all parts of the country.
