As part of its assessment of urban life in Ghana, the Kumasi Metropolis (KMA) has emerged as the best-performing city among Ghana’s major metropolises.
This means that, despite losing part of its grit, the once-known Garden City still sits at the top of all major cities in the country.
This revelation comes from the maiden edition of the Ghana Cities Monitor (GCM), a new tool designed to put the voices of everyday citizens at the heart of urban development.
What is the Ghana Cities Monitor (GCM)?
The GCM is a comprehensive reporting system initiated by CDD-Ghana with support from the Hewlett Foundation. Rather than relying solely on government data, the GCM tracks citizen experiential data, which is the actual, daily experiences of people living in 23 selected cities.
The goal is to provide reliable and timely information on the services and infrastructure that affect our quality of life in these cities. By doing so, CDD-Ghana intends to strengthen what is describes as “evidence-driven decision-making” and empower the citizens to hold city authorities accountable for the public goods they are supposed to deliver.
According to the report cited by The High Street Journal, the GCM was developed using a total of six major components and their associated seventeen sub-components. The six major components are Social Services, Economic Infrastructure, Safety, Security and Disaster Management, Local Governance and Social Inclusion, Economic Services, and Environmental Services. The sub-components also collectively had 446 indicators.
The Methodology
CDD-Ghana reports that the data for the GCM was gathered through an experiential survey in what it describes as urban enumeration areas (EAs). These EAs were located within Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale metropolises and selected municipalities adjoining these metropolises.
A total of 2400 adult Ghanaians were engaged in face-to-face interviews across 150 EAs. CDD-Ghana further explains that 100EAs were also allocated to the purposively selected metropolitan areas, and the remaining were randomly selected.
The Road to the Top: How Kumasi Took the Lead
According to the report, out of a possible 100 points, Kumasi emerged at the top with a score of 41.0, narrowly beating the Accra Metropolis (AMA), which scored 39.3, and Tamale (TaMA), which trailed with 34.2.
Per the report, Kumasi’s victory was driven by strong performances in areas that matter most to the comfort of your home and the success of your business. Specifically, Kumasi dominated in three major categories:
• Environmental Services (61.4): Kumasi outperformed its peers in managing the surroundings, including sanitation and waste services.
• Economic Infrastructure (56.1): The city saw favorable assessments in the reliability of electricity, water, and communication services.
• Economic Services (28.2): While scores were lower across the board in this category, Kumasi still led the way in market availability and livelihood opportunities.
The city’s first-place position was also boosted by its relatively positive scores in Safety, Security, and Disaster Management, reflecting a greater sense of peace and protection among its residents.
Why this Matters
While Kumasi is celebrating its top rank, the report offers a practical reminder that there is still much work to do. Interestingly, none of the three largest cities reached an average score of 50.0, suggesting that the “ease of living” in our biggest urban centers remains a challenge.
Across Kumasi, Accra, and Tamale, citizens gave very low marks for education, health services, and social protection. Residents also expressed a desire for more public participation in local governance, noting that opportunities to sit down with city authorities to discuss local issues remain limited.
The Bottomline
The GCM, as CDD-Ghana insists, is not just a ranking but also a roadmap to future development. It highlights the “deepening divide” between cities in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions compared to those in the Northern region, urging the government to bridge these gaps.
The GCM, CDD-Ghana says, will be produced every two years. For now, Kumasi holds the challenge of maintaining its lead, while Accra and Tamale look to improve the quality of life for their dwellers.
