In March 2017, former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo announced plans to construct a National Cathedral in Accra.
During the announcement, he stated that the project was to fulfill a personal promise made to God during his 2016 election campaign.
The cathedral would be built around the Osu area, close to Ghana’s Parliament building. It would have an auditorium capable of seating 5,000 and house a music school, an art gallery, and a museum dedicated to the Bible.
The design and construction of the project was awarded to David Adjaye, a renowned Ghanaian-British architect known for designing the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
His vision for blending African aesthetics with modern design made him a source of pride for Ghanaians when he established his firm, Adjaye Associates, in Accra in 2017.
However, in July 2023, Adjaye was the subject of controversy when the Financial Times published allegations from three women who worked for or with Adjaye. The claims included sexual assault, harassment, and creating a “toxic work culture”.
Adjaye has categorically denied the allegations of sexual misconduct
His involvement in high-profile national projects, including the National Cathedral of Ghana and the Marine Drive redevelopment project, has also come under scrutiny, raising questions about transparency and procurement practices.
National Cathedral: Financial Improperities
When it was announced, the project became a lightning rod for criticism.
Construction, which began in 2020, stalled in 2022, leaving behind what locals call an “expensive hole” on a 14-acre site near Ghana’s Parliament.
Despite $58 million in taxpayer funds spent—far exceeding the initial promise of private funding—little progress is visible beyond foundational work.
A recent audit by Deloitte and Touche revealed discrepancies in payments to Adjaye Associates, with the firm reporting receipt of GH¢117.9 million ($9.5 million), while the government recorded GH¢113 million, leaving an unexplained gap of GH¢4.9 million.
Opposition politicians, led by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have accused the former government of bypassing parliamentary approval and public procurement laws to award the contract to Adjaye Associates.
Ablakwa has called for Adjaye to refund the $21.4 million design fee, alleging it was “sole-sourced” without competitive bidding.
While the National Cathedral Secretariat and the Ghanaian Public Procurement Authority have denied these claims, asserting that approvals were properly secured, the controversy persists.
In January 2025, Ghana’s newly elected president, John Mahama, announced an investigation into the project’s funding, citing concerns over “misuse of public funds.”
The probe, backed by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, aims to scrutinize the $58 million spent and the outstanding $39 million owed to contractors, bringing the total cost to $97 million for a project that remains unbuilt.
A Stalled Marine Drive Project
The Marine Drive project, another ambitious Adjaye Associates endeavor, has also drawn significant criticism.
Envisioned as a $1.2 billion redevelopment of nearly 100 hectares of Accra’s coastline, the project promised skyscrapers, parks, and promenades to attract tourists.
However, it has been accused of prioritizing elite interests over cultural preservation and public access, as well as misappropriation of funds.
The project’s most contentious aspect is its impact on cultural heritage sites, including the Art Centre Accra, a hub for Ghana’s Concert Party Theatre, and the Ghana Club, a historic gathering place for Ghanaian elites during the colonial era.
Former Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare criticized the project’s opaque procurement process.
The former minister stated that the contract was initially awarded to a local firm, The Consortium, in 2016 before being reassigned to Adjaye Associates in 2017 under questionable circumstances.
“I don’t know what process Sir Adjaye went through to get that contract, but I know Consortium went through the competitive bidding process. It is unfortunate because when I was minister, we tried to empower local firms,” she said in an interview with the press.
The lack of competitive bidding has fueled perceptions of favoritism, particularly given Adjaye’s close ties to President Akufo-Addo, who praised him during the 2021 RIBA Gold Medal ceremony for bringing “renown and glory” to Ghana.
Design of District Hospitals
During the tenure of the Akufo-Addo administration, Adjaye was awarded the design of district hospitals under the Agenda 111 programme in 2021.
About 101 hospitals were to be built across different parts of the country, with Adjaye’s firm responsible for design.
The former government secured an initial $100 million for the project through the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The project, which was initially promised to be completed within 18 months of its August 2021 launch, faced significant delays.
In 2023, the total estimated cost of the project was revealed to be about $1.76 billion, a figure that sparked public debate over the financial implications.
As of late 2024 and 2025, reports indicated that some hospitals were near completion, and a few were operationalized.
Sexual Misconduct Allegations and Public Fallout
In 2023, Adjaye faced allegations of sexual misconduct by three former employees, which he has denied, though he admitted to consensual relationships that “blurred professional boundaries.”
The scandal led to his firm being dropped from projects like the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool and the Africa Institute in Sharjah, tarnishing his global reputation.
In Ghana, these allegations amplified existing criticisms of favoritism, with some arguing that his proximity to power shielded him from accountability.
Additionally, a 2021 lawsuit filed by former Adjaye Associates director Alice Asafu-Adjaye (no relation) alleged unfair dismissal, claiming that Adjaye used employees for personal projects without compensation to the firm.
No Longer in The Public Eye
Since the allegations, Adjaye has seemingly vanished from the public eye.
A recent New York Times article noted that three of his major projects (the Princeton University Art Museum, the Museum of West African Art in Benin City, Nigeria, and the Studio Museum in Harlem), which are scheduled to open later this year, will not have Adjaye physically present.
After the allegations, his involvement in some of these projects has been downplayed.
A spokeswoman for the Studio Museum, a project in Harlem in New York, said in an email to The Times that Adjaye had “not been involved in the project since July 2023“.
As Ghana’s new government investigates the National Cathedral and public sentiment sours on Marine Drive, Adjaye’s legacy in Ghana has become tainted.
According to his website, one of his projects in Ghana, the International Children’s Cancer Research Centre (ICCRC), is still listed as “current” and ongoing.
The project, which is to be located in Kyebi, Ghana, will be a dedicated center to treat childhood cancers, with the goal of dramatically increasing regional survival rates.
The estimated cost is $250 million and is backed by organisations including Wish4Life Foundation and Stanbic Bank.
The project is set to be completed in 2026.
