Ayariga calls for redevelopment of Ghana's Zongo communities without displacing residents
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The Local Government Minister says urban Zongos can be transformed to fix sanitation, housing and access problems while residents stay in their homes.
Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Mahama Ayariga has called for a comprehensive redevelopment of Zongo communities to tackle longstanding challenges in sanitation, housing and basic infrastructure without displacing residents.
He said the government's approach should focus on transforming the communities while allowing residents to remain in their homes. "It's not about taking anyone out of the community; it's about redeveloping the place, and it is perfectly possible to redevelop it with everybody still in that community," he said.
Speaking at the Zongo Chiefs Conference in Accra, held under the theme "The Zongo Development Agenda," Ayariga said poor conditions in some urban Zongos reflect deep-rooted social and economic inequalities that require deliberate intervention. He identified inadequate sanitation facilities, poor housing and limited access routes as some of the key challenges that redevelopment must address.
The Minister described his appointment as an opportunity to renew his commitment to Zongo development, recalling his involvement with Zongo communities dating back to his days as a law student and lawyer. He pledged to draw on that experience to advance their development, stressing that meaningful transformation would require collaboration between government, traditional authorities and community leaders.