On April 16, 2025, a user on Reddit, an online social media network, posted an interesting take on their first-ever visit to Ghana.
In a written post, the user called “slowsad” detailed the “paradox” of Accra, a city where luxury stores but was surrounded by crumbling infrastructure.
“Yesterday I visited some shops my friend recommended. A few were on unpaved roads, with locked doors you had to be buzzed into, offering very high end items.
I’m not saying luxury shouldn’t exist here, but my brain is struggling to reconcile that level of wealth with the visible lack of infrastructure,” they wrote in their post.
“On one hand, there’s what feels like structural neglect like missing sidewalks, potholes and on the other, there’s this curated world for the lucky few who were born into wealth or have access to foreign currency,” they added.
Visitors have described Accra as a great and modern city. But is it great? Is it really “modern”?
A modern city is typically characterized by a diverse and highly developed infrastructure, including a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial areas.
Most modern cities have a variety of public amenities and services, such as parks, museums, theatres, and sporting facilities.
Historically, the city has been falling behind in many areas.
From its outdated city design to its ever-increasing traffic congestion to its high prices for accommodation, Accra is not the model most might be looking for, especially when compared to cities like London or Singapore.
The Cost of Rent Is High
There’s been a growing trend of “luxury” apartments springing up across the city. Some of these spaces are usually priced in dollars, which is out of the range for the average Accra resident.
According to data compiled by Numbeo, the average rent in Accra could be as high as GHC 17,000 for 3 bedrooms close to the city centre, to GHC 600 if you live outside the city centre.
Can the average Ghanaian afford this? Not likely.
Data is not as readily available, but it can be estimated through online conversations that the average Ghanaian makes about 2,000 GHC — 4000 GHC.
If utility bills, including water and electricity, were added, the cost of living in the city would be out of range for most.
Governments over the years have tried to solve this problem with affordable housing projects.
Unfortunately, most of these projects have not worked out in the long term.
Although Accra may be known as a place known for its hospitality, the design of the city is not people-friendly.
Unless you’re a resident in structured neighborhoods like East Legon or Cantonments, there are hardly any sidewalks for pedestrians or parks for recreation.
Public Transportation (Or Lack Thereof)
Ghana’s popular choice of public transportation has been small buses or “Trotros”. This method of transportation has been the most popular system since the 60s.
Fast forward to 2023, and Ghana’s public transportation system hasn’t evolved all that much.
From corruption, poor maintenance, and low fares, initiatives like the Metro Mass bus system have not made giant strides in making public transportation attractive for most commuters.
The most recent public transportation project has been the Ayalolo bus rapid transit system.
But that project appears to also be a dud. With poor planning and a lack of an actual road network to accommodate rapid transit, the Ayalolo buses have become just another part of the regular traffic in the city.
Ride-sharing companies like Uber and Bolt have tried to fill the public transportation gap, but they are not cost-effective in the long run for the average Ghanaian.
Poor City Planning and No “People-Friendly” Design
Perennial flooding affects the city every year, and it’s only going to get worse because of climate change. A lack of town planning and a modern sewage system makes Accra a hotspot for flooding every year.
The issue of flooding is not new. The issue has had occurrences dating back to the 1930s. City officials have failed to enforce regulations when it comes to the construction of buildings in restricted areas such as waterways, leading to continued flooding.
The city itself has become a victim of poor planning. Accra may be known as a place known for its hospitality, but the design of the city is not people-friendly.
Unless you’re a resident in structured neighborhoods like East Legon or Cantonments, there are hardly any sidewalks for pedestrians or parks for recreation.
Some walkability studies conducted in some parts of Accra confirmed that there are insufficient structures for pedestrians in the city to traverse.
If you’re looking to use a bicycle to cycle around the inner city, you’ll be out of luck as Accra barely has any lanes to ride on.
Consultation With A Singapore Architect Yields No Results
In 2018, the government employed the consultancy services of Dr. Liu Thai-Ker, an acclaimed master planner for Singapore, to help remodel the city of Accra.
At a press conference, Dr. Thai-Ker said that his mandate should bring enormous benefits to Accra immediate and long terms.
“….if you plan only Accra and make it so attractive and not improving the conditions in the surrounding township, then there will be a bigger rush to come to Accra.
This will not be good for everybody. So the likelihood is that I may be planning Accra and its immediate township,” he said at the event.
Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo, the Senior Minister at the time, said the agreement with Dr. Thai-Ker will be in the best interest of the state.
“So it will have to take time to regularize some of these things, partner a Ghanaian architecture firm and operate with them. But it is going to be a lot more of assessing the professional services of a professional,” he said.
Fast forward to 2023, and there have not been any updates on the work or plan for the city.
Meanwhile, traffic congestion is getting worse, air pollution in the city is on the rise, leading to worsening health conditions for residents.
Behind the smoke screen is an undeveloped city that needs drastic change if it wants to be one of the best cities in Africa.
Become More “Accessible” To Everyone
Accra is not “people” friendly, unless you factor in the hospitality that most travellers rave about. Most residents are opting for private vehicles to get to work and run errands. This all leads to more congestion and traffic in the city.
If more resources and planning were put into public transportation, it would help reduce congestion and make movement around the city-friendly.
Trains, buses, and other mass transport systems need to be integrated into the city.
Design of bike lanes and more sidewalks to encourage more walking and easier movement also needs to be considered.
The housing issue in Accra is an eyesore. It’s fair to say that most of the government’s housing projects have been “disasters”.
As mentioned before, the estimated average salary of a Ghanaian is between 3000–4000 GHC. Most research states that 30% of your income should go to your rent.
In that case, the average rent in the city should be between 900 and 1200 GHC for basic rent for residents living in Accra.
In Singapore, housing is largely subsidised by the government. Unfortunately, subsidies might place a huge financial burden on the government. A better solution would be to put in incentives for private developers to build and rent housing for low-income people.
The new rental scheme announced by the government in 2023 has become a nonstarter, especially now with a new government administration in place.
Accra is not in great shape for the average resident. Social media portrayal of parties and festivals may fool you into thinking that it’s all fun and games and parties all the time.
But most festivities and enjoyment are being experienced by a select few. The rest of Accra’s inhabitants are struggling to make ends meet.
Behind the smoke screen is an undeveloped city that needs drastic change if it wants to be one of the best cities in Africa.
There may have been some developments as far as infrastructure and tourism in parts of the city, but Accra as a whole should be better than it is today.
Currently, it feels like it’s living off its past glory.
