Senior Partner at AB & David Africa, David Ofosu-Dorte, has cautioned that Ghana’s ambition to position its cities as centres of prosperity will be undermined if critical environmental challenges such as illegal mining are not addressed.

Speaking at the JoyNews and Amalgam of Professional Bodies Speaker Series on Wednesday, May 6, under the theme “Centers of Prosperity @ the Center of the World: How we can manage our cities better to stimulate economic growth,” he stressed that while cities must drive economic growth, they must also remain livable.

“Cities are centres of prosperity, and in our case, they should exist at the centre of the world,” he said.

However, he warned that branding cities without addressing fundamental issues such as environmental degradation would be ineffective.

“We should not overlook the fact that cities must also be livable. If we don’t deal with things like galamsey, the threat of water contamination will affect how people view our cities,” he noted.

Mr Ofosu-Dorte explained that the perception of a city, particularly in areas such as water quality and environmental safety, plays a critical role in attracting investment and sustaining growth.

“It doesn’t matter how much you brand your city. If your water is deemed to be contaminated, it will affect you,” he stressed.

He called for a holistic approach to urban development, where economic planning is matched with environmental protection and sustainable resource management.

According to him, ensuring clean water and a healthy environment is not only a public health priority but also central to building credible, competitive cities that can attract global attention and investment.

Mr Ofosu-Dorte added that without tackling issues such as illegal mining and its impact on water bodies, efforts to project Ghanaian cities as hubs of prosperity may fall short.