Kojo Oppong Nkrumah shares vision and strategy for Ghana’s housing

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Works and Housing, in an exclusive “Sunday Night” interview delved into his strategic approach to addressing Ghana’s housing challenges. 

Nkrumah began by outlining the simplicity and complexity of the housing issue. “There are 32 million Ghanaians. They need houses. Public works need to be done. So, on that front, it’s very simple,” he explained.

He, however, noted that the complexity lies in prioritizing resources to tackle the myriad of issues effectively.

His structured approach starts with understanding baseline data, identifying key issues, and leveraging available resources.

A pivotal part of Nkrumah’s strategy is engaging the private sector to address housing needs, particularly for the lower segment of the market.

“About 99% of our units are being delivered by the private sector, targeting the top 5% of the market. We need to incentivise the private sector to build for the 65% and the 35% that need affordable and social housing,” he said.

To achieve this, Nkrumah conducted extensive research, including trips to Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Kenya, and consultations with Moroccan experts, to understand how other countries incentivise private sector participation in housing.

“We invited 28 different stakeholder groups to discuss what we can do for them. This led to a reform package announced by the Finance Minister, aimed at making it easier for the private sector to deliver more homes at the lower end of the market,” Oppong Nkrumah revealed.

One of the most pressing issues is resolving stalled housing projects, such as the Saglemi housing project.

Nkrumah described the steps taken to address funding gaps and bring private capital into the mix. “We opened an request for propsal (RFP) for Saglemi, and out of ten companies, five came back with proposals. We selected one accounting firm to evaluate these bids, and by September, we expect to have a contractor on site to resume work,” he said.

Nkrumah emphasized the importance of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework as a major paradigm shift from traditional government-led housing projects. “The business of government is not to build. It’s to create the enabling environment and support the private sector that has the skill and knowledge to do it well,” he stated.

Addressing the land tenure system, Nkrumah explained how the ministry’s lands committee has identified over 50,000 acres of land to partner with real estate developers. “We want to provide the land as equity, build the horizontal infrastructure, and help developers get cheaper construction finance,” he said.

The Minister also highlighted efforts to stimulate the demand side of the market by reforming the National Homeownership Fund(NHF). “We are working on reforms to attract pension funds and other financial institutions to support banks in providing mortgages,” he added. This approach aims to make housing more accessible and affordable for Ghanaians.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah’s vision extends beyond building houses.

He sees housing as a means to stimulate the economy, provide jobs, and improve the dignity and quality of life for Ghanaians.

“Housing is not just about building a shell. It provides jobs, incomes, and growth to the economy. It gives people dignity in their lives,” he emphasized.

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