Private sector lawyer and policy expert David Ofosu-Dorte has cautioned that Ghana risks missing out on significant economic opportunities if it fails to strategically position its cities within the emerging West African megapolis.

Speaking at the JoyNews Amalgam of Professional Bodies Speaker Series on managing cities for economic growth, Mr Ofosu-Dorte highlighted the growing integration of major urban centres across West Africa, noting that cities such as Accra, Tema and Takoradi are part of a broader transnational urban corridor.

He explained that these cities lie within what he described as the “West Africa megapolis” — a continuous stretch of large metropolitan areas spanning multiple countries, where national boundaries are becoming less significant in economic and urban terms.

“Another important factor is that Accra and Tema and Takoradi, three of the cities mentioned in my list sit on the so-called West Africa megapolis… big metropolitan areas within separate countries where at times it is difficult to determine whether they fall into different countries,” he said.

Drawing comparisons with Europe, Mr Ofosu-Dorte likened the phenomenon to cross-border urban integration between countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium.

He argued that future urban development trends point towards a consolidated economic corridor stretching from Abidjan through Lagos to Accra.

“Those who predict the future believe that Abidjan, Lagos and Accra corridor is one single megapolis, which is the reason why the so-called Abidjan-Lagos Corridor project is being implemented,” he noted.

According to him, Ghana occupies a particularly advantageous position within this corridor, with a significant portion of the infrastructure and economic activity falling within its borders.

However, he warned that the country is not fully capitalising on this opportunity.

“If 60 per cent of that corridor is sitting in Ghana and you have three of your cities along that corridor and you are not taking advantage of it, then our planning is not strategic enough — it is only project-related,” he stated.

Mr Ofosu-Dorte outlined the wide-ranging benefits that could arise from a more coordinated and forward-looking approach to urban planning within the corridor.

These include the development of energy hubs, transshipment points to boost port activity, as well as the growth of financial and entertainment centres.

He also pointed to the potential for improved utilisation of airports and other key infrastructure.

However, he identified urban fragmentation as a major obstacle to realising these gains. He attributed this challenge in part to governance issues, including overlapping authorities and competing local interests.

“To do this, all of us need to create much awareness about the menace of the fragmentation which I have blamed on our chiefs and our politicians because the more you fragment, the more difficult it becomes to manage our cities properly,” he said.