• Ghana’s President John Mahama unveiled plans for a 20-year green city project spanning Greater Accra, Volta, and the Eastern Region, inviting Chinese investors to participate.

• The project will use digital and smart urban technologies, implemented in four phases, with an inter-ministerial committee overseeing design and feasibility.

• Ghana is pursuing regulatory and fiscal reforms to attract investment in manufacturing, energy, telecoms, and real estate, as part of its broader industrial and green transition strategy.

Ghanaian President John Mahama has invited Chinese investors to join a landmark project to build a “green city” covering the Greater Accra, Volta, and Eastern regions, as part of efforts to attract sustainable investment and modernize the economy.

Speaking on October 14, 2025, at the Presidential Investment Forum in Beijing, Mahama said the project would integrate digital infrastructure and advanced technologies in urban planning, innovation, and sustainable development. The total investment cost was not disclosed.

Mahama said the 20-year project would unfold in four phases and combine ecological design with smart-city systems to promote environmental resilience. “This will be a digital and green city built with the most advanced planning tools,” he said, emphasizing Ghana’s commitment to innovation-driven growth.

He added that the government would soon establish an inter-ministerial committee to guide project design and oversee feasibility studies. The initiative is expected to align with Ghana’s climate transition and industrial diversification goals.

The Mahama administration has intensified efforts to attract foreign capital by introducing targeted regulatory and fiscal reforms. The measures focus on boosting investment in manufacturing, mining, agribusiness, telecommunications, energy, and real estate.

Authorities have pledged to implement a harmonized and transparent regulatory framework to simplify administrative procedures and enhance competitiveness. The government also aims to deepen Ghana’s integration into global value chains and strengthen its trade in services.

In June 2025, Ghana presented its green investment agenda, identifying energy transition as a core pillar of industrial policy. The strategy promotes energy efficiency and renewable technologies through public-private partnerships.

The green city announcement coincided with Mahama’s three-day state visit to China, during which he attended the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. Both leaders agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, and health.

This article was initially published in French by Lydie Mobio

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum