The current population in the region- 2,325,597- is a lot but it’ s a safe guess to say more than half of that number is in Sekondi-Takoradi. We’ ve seen a lot of big mining companies operate in Tarkwa and other areas, but we haven’ t seen the development there. Of course, they provide some amenities for their employees and their families but these areas are the anti-Johannesburg. Learn how Johannesburg became what it is today. Johannesburg’ s growth into the top centre of commerce in
Africa was due to the gold mining industry in the nearby areas. Takoradi can and should become a similar case. It already houses the Effia Nkwanta hospital, biggest in the region, and it is going to become overstretched, necessitating the need for a bigger health facility. There are plans for a new ultra modern regional hospital, possibly to be sited in the Shama district.
by Ato Ulzen-Appiah A graduate student at Stanford University and a member of the Barcamp Ghana team. May 10, 2011
Takoradi ' s growth
Chief Director of the Council, Mr David Yaro, remarked:“ Education, water, our road network need to be expanded because the volume of traffic is going to increase, sanitation, crime- putting pressure on existing facilities. So all these are areas, politically, we are looking at, so the police are being equipped, the navy is being resourced to [ protect Ghana’ s marine ].” It seems the Western Regional Council, the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly and co understand the potential growth and are taking steps to meet it with the necessary plans and policies. I don’ t think
the onus should fall on them alone. Ghana must want to see Takoradi do well. Accra is choked with too much expectation. We need to divvy the wealth and grow other parts of Ghana. This is a perfect opportunity to develop a metropolis that would not be be deviled with the problems Accra is facing. It’ s why we organized Barcamp Takoradi to help residents there understand what special place Takoradi can hold on Ghana’ s landscape. The theme was“ Leading & Enterprising in an Oil & Technology Fuelled Economy”.
I hear of a lot of training programs in and around Takoradi, with people being promised access to new jobs. www. oilcityghana. com 27