The Government has reiterated its commitment to transform Nima, considered as a slum, into world-class communities with executive amenities.
According to the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Samuel Atta-Akyea the redevelopment project which will be expanded to cover Maamobi, will provide the areas with modern housing facilities far better than the apartment complex, Villagio in Accra.
President in Nana Akufo-Addo in February hinted of plans to transform Nima as part plans to “regenerate” the area.
This announcement did not go down well with residents who raised concerns that the move is an attempt to dislodge them.
But addressing the media in Accra today [Tuesday], Mr. Atta-Akyea called for calm among agitated residents assuring that developers for the projects are going to compensate them with a ‘glamorous apartments’.
He said no resident will be dislodged.
“We are aware that the people of Nima have their own homes. We are not going to dislodge them. We are going to build executive flats and housing arrangement for them and they will move in free of charge. This is to create a better environment for them so that the land space where they are will be released to the developer. The developer can decide that this space that he has will be more glamorous than Villagio, which will compensate them for the properties that they have released for them.”
“The residents can now sell their Villagio structures to cancel out the cost. This is what we are trying to do but they will live in the modern structures free of charge. But, they will own it because we took the slum and we used the land for benefit. So they will have it for free of charge. That is how to go”, he noted.
President Nana Akufo-Addo in the last state of his nation’s address said he was excited by these plans to make Nima shake off the urban-slum title.
He said the “the most exciting news on the housing landscape, though, is the drafting of plans to regenerate Nima, which holds the dubious title of being Accra’s first slum.”
Other housing developments promised by the government
The Minister also said the Saglemi Housing Project which started under the last NDC government, is also high on its list of priorities this year.
He earlier acknowledged Ghana’s housing deficit, which stands at 2 million units, saying “it is time to tackle the issue and find a resolution.”
The government said the Ministry of Finance is working to launch a one billion Ghana cedi housing fund that would target low-income earners.”
