Government plans to redevelop communities and waterfront areas around the Korle Lagoon are expected to move into the implementation phase soon under the Integrated Ga–Gbese Korle Smart City and Beach Development Project.

The move follows a committee meeting held on Tuesday, February 3, chaired by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma South Constituency and former Mayor of Accra, Hon. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije.

The meeting was attended by the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, and focused on aligning stakeholders around key delivery steps, including financing coordination, technical planning, and the social safeguards expected to accompany the redevelopment.

The Smart City concept, to be delivered in specialised zones, includes a commercial business enclave, a financial and corporate district, recreational and marina spaces, sea defence and breakwater infrastructure, a community health corridor with hospital and polyclinic facilities, a community theatre, a high bridge across the lagoon, and affordable housing units.

The $17 billion public-private partnership project is expected to generate more than 100,000 jobs for Ghanaian youth upon completion, with the first phase estimated at $700 million.

Speaking after the committee meeting, Mayor Allotey said the redevelopment would not be treated as a talk-focused engagement, adding that he intended to prioritise visible progress and practical action.

He said he had made it clear to the project champions that his involvement would be driven by delivery, and that the committee’s engagement style would remain short and execution-oriented.

On the anticipated social impact, the Mayor acknowledged that relocation would be required for persons likely to be affected within project corridors and said resettlement planning would form part of the implementation process.

He indicated that land at Adjen Kotoku could be considered for relocation arrangements and urged affected persons to cooperate with lawful processes when engagement teams and developers begin field activities.

The Mayor linked the project’s momentum to ongoing enforcement actions by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in the city centre, explaining that the renewed decongestion exercise and the Red Line policy were intended to restore pedestrian movement, reopen pavements for public use, and ensure consistent enforcement of city by-laws.

Touching on the project’s direction, Hon. Okoe Vanderpuije expressed satisfaction with decongestion efforts across parts of Accra, noting that these actions would complement redevelopment and modernisation plans.

He said discussions were ongoing with financiers and technical leadership at the relevant ministry level to coordinate the steps required to realise the project, adding that broader stakeholder support, including from local authorities and traditional leaders, would be critical to moving from planning to delivery.

For his part, MP for Odododiodio, Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, endorsed the redevelopment direction while emphasising the need for compensation planning and relocation options to minimise hardship.

He said the redevelopment of the beachfront and its surrounding environment had long been a priority and stressed that implementation must balance regeneration with safeguards that reduce inconvenience for affected residents.