The Ministry of Works and Housing has issued a call for investors to submit proposals aimed at revitalizing the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project, an initiative designed to provide 1,506 housing units in the Greater Accra Region.
This initiative aims to involve experienced and reputable local and international entities or investors to efficiently complete and operationalize the project, thereby contributing to addressing the housing deficit.
During a press briefing in Accra, Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah emphasized that the invitation marked the government’s shift away from direct involvement towards “a model that leveraged private sector innovation, expertise, and capital.”
“The government invites innovative proposals that present a balanced approach to achieving the project’s socio-economic importance and ensuring its financial feasibility for potential private sector participants,” he said.
“This strategic move aims to harness the private sector’s capabilities to maximise resources, expedite completion and efficiently realise our housing objectives,” he added.
Prospective investors must possess experience in large-scale housing projects, substantial financial resources, the ability to secure funding for the project’s completion and beyond, and be prepared to demonstrate technical competency and managerial capability to deliver such projects.
Additionally, only limited liability companies are eligible to bid.
During an overview of the project’s progress, Mr. Foster Osae-Akonnor, a member of the technical working group committee set up by the sector ministry, reported that a total of 1,506 housing units were at various stages of completion. These units constitute the initial phase of the housing project, laying the foundation for comprehensive community development.
Mr. Osae-Akonnor explained that a total of 2,172.5 acres were acquired for the project, of which 651.75 acres had been developed. This developed land encompasses the housing units and associated infrastructure currently in place.
The Saglemi Housing Project, launched in 2012 to provide housing units for a master-planned community, aimed to address the affordable housing needs of Ghanaians. However, the project became controversial after a change in government, with former Minister of Works and Housing Samuel Atta Akyea claiming that the agreement was botched due to alleged embezzlement by former government officials.
Reportedly, out of the proposed 5,000 housing units, only 668 were completed. The Attorney General asserted that the completed houses were uninhabitable and questioned discrepancies in the project’s cost, stating that while $64 million was spent, it was initially projected to cost about $196 million.
Alhaji Collins Dauda, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, former Ministers of Works and Housing, Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, the Chief Director at the ministry from 2009 to 2017, Andrew Clocanas, the Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS, the Brazilian company responsible for constructing the affordable housing project at Saglemi, and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, a Director of RMS, the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) consultancy subcontractor, faced 52 counts of criminal charges for allegedly causing financial loss to the state.