President John Dramani Mahama says the Sentuo Airport Garden City Project will help position Accra to host major international conferences, including events organised by the United Nations.

According to the President, Accra has previously lost opportunities to host major international conferences because the city lacked adequate hotel accommodation and conference facilities.

Speaking at the ceremonial sod-cutting of the Sentuo Airport Garden City Project, Mahama said the development would help address the infrastructure gap and enhance Accra’s capacity to attract major international events.

“We will have enough hotel rooms. We will have enough conference facilities to be able to host even a UN conference here in Accra,” he said.

President Mahama said the project forms part of the broader transformation taking place within and around the airport enclave, with government and private-sector investments expected to improve the area’s infrastructure and commercial appeal.

He noted that Accra is increasingly attracting business travellers, tourists and participants in major international conferences, making it necessary to expand the city’s hospitality and conference facilities.

The President recalled that on at least two occasions, Accra had been bypassed as a host for major international conferences because of inadequate conference facilities.

He specifically mentioned Dakar, Senegal, as one of the cities that had benefited from an event that could have been hosted in Accra.

Mahama said he was disappointed that Ghana’s capital could lose such opportunities to other cities, stressing the need for the country to build the capacity to host large-scale international events.

The President said Ghana’s ambitions should extend beyond attracting visitors to Accra, urging the country to create an environment that encourages business travellers and tourists to stay longer and explore other parts of the country.

He said when visitors travel beyond the capital, the benefits of tourism would spread to transport operators, hospitality businesses, artisans, farmers, workers and communities across the country.

The Sentuo Airport Garden City Project, he noted, would contribute to this vision through its planned hotel, conference, residential, healthcare and leisure facilities.

The project is expected to include a 600-room hotel and a conference facility with a capacity of about 2,500 people, alongside residential apartments and other commercial and leisure amenities.

Mahama said the development would therefore not only provide additional accommodation and conference space but also create opportunities for businesses and workers within the tourism and hospitality sectors.

He expressed hope that the project would help strengthen Accra’s position as a competitive destination for international business, tourism and conferences.