The stalled Saglemi Affordable Housing Project has officially been brought back to life following a landmark public-private partnership between the Government of Ghana and industrial developers LMI Group.
During an extensive site inspection of the estate, President John Dramani Mahama and the Chief Executive Officer of LMI Group, Mr. Kofi Aduhene, jointly announced that the first 700 housing units will be completed and commissioned by March 2027, with the full 1,500-unit phase scheduled for completion by December 2027.
Addressing stakeholders and the media at the project site, Mr. Aduhene made an unequivocal public pledge to deliver on the aggressive construction timelines.
“By March 2027, we will have 700 housing units ready, and I want to say to everyone: take me at my word,” Mr. Aduhene declared. “I am making this commitment publicly, and I expect you to hold me accountable for it. If anyone wishes to purchase a house now, we are ready to begin the sales process.”
Overcoming Past Setbacks with World-Class Infrastructure
Originally conceived under the late President John Evans Atta Mills and continued under President Mahama’s previous tenure, the 5,000-unit Saglemi initiative faced years of stagnation due to legal disputes following a change in government. During the political stalemate, the site fell victim to extensive looting, reducing structures to empty shells as underground cables, fittings, and fixtures were stripped.
To salvage the project, government opted for a strategic partnership, bringing in LMI Group to re-engineer, complete, and modernize the estate.
Site clearing is currently ongoing, materials have been fully secured, and underground electrical cabling is being installed. Crucially, the long-standing water supply challenges that previously plagued the development have been resolved.
“A new water treatment plant at Dawa is ready, the pipeline has already been laid, and an overhead reservoir is nearing completion,” Mr. Aduhene confirmed, noting that the facility will supply clean, abundant water across the entire community.
In addition to robust utility connections, the development is being transformed into a high-tech smart community. Through a direct fiber-optic extension from Google’s regional infrastructure in nearby Dawa, every home in the Saglemi estate will be equipped with high-speed internet and an integrated intercom network linking residents directly to estate management and security services.
A Gateway to the “Green Digital City”
Commending LMI Group for the rapid progress on-site, President Mahama emphasized that Saglemi is being integrated into a much broader regional master plan designed to transform the area into a major industrial, residential, and commercial axis.
“Saglemi fits perfectly into the concept of the Green Digital City that government is developing,” President Mahama stated. “The new city will stretch from this corridor through Bundase, across the former military firing range, all the way to the Volta Lake, creating an entirely new urban growth zone for Ghana.”
To support this rapid urbanization, significant dualization work is underway on the main Accra-Aflao road, alongside plans to construct a dedicated railway line connecting Saglemi directly to the Dawa Industrial Zone, Ashaiman, Afienya, and the Tema Port enclave.
“Imagine living here and working in Tema,” Mr. Aduhene added. “Instead of enduring long road journeys, you will simply walk to the station, board the train, and travel comfortably to work. Our goal is to ensure that hardworking Ghanaians do not have to live in shanty settlements or overcrowded slum communities, but can own decent homes here.”
Mortgages and Long-Term Housing Policy
To ensure the homes remain financially accessible to everyday Ghanaian families and industrial workers along the Tema-Dawa corridor, President Mahama revealed that tailored financial packages have been arranged through the Home Ownership Fund and participating commercial banks.
“Financial institutions are prepared to finance the 10 percent deposit and provide affordable mortgages with low interest rates,” the President noted, advising prospective buyers to register early as sales portals open.
President Mahama reiterated that expanding the national housing stock remains the ultimate strategy to curb excessive rent advance demands in urban areas. He disclosed that the Saglemi project represents just the first phase of a broader housing vision, with construction on the remaining 3,500 Saglemi units to begin immediately after December 2027, alongside a GH¢500 million District Housing Scheme rolling out across selected districts nationwide.
“We trust your commitment,” President Mahama told the LMI management in closing. “We expect that when we return next March, shortly after Christmas and around Easter, we shall gather here to commission the first 700 units and hand them over to homeowners.”
