 |
| President John Mahama |
President John Mahama just launched a project called Hope
City. The President of Ghana intends to create the first information and
communications technology (ICT) hub in the region near Accra, the country’s
capital. It will be underway within a period of three years. This futuristic
urban tech mecca will house Africa’s tallest building at 270 meters high. The
launching was held on March 4, 2013 at the Ohene Djan Stadium. On March 5,
Grammy winning artist Chris Brown has been invited to perform at Hope City’s launching concert.
A symbol of Ghana’s optimistic
future
Hope City has a budget of ten billion dollars and will
house as many as 25,000 citizens with its high-end residential area. This
technological and economic hub will employ approximately 50, 000 with all the
businesses that will call the hub its home. The piece of 100,000 sqm of land
that will soon give rise to Ghana’s symbol of hope is located at Dunkonaa, an
Accra suburb.
This future vertical ICT hub is composed of six towering
skyscrapers linked together at various heights, including the 75-storey
building that would become Africa’s tallest skyscraper. It will also contain a
hospital and various leisure centers for sports, shopping, and recreation. In
many ways, Hope City is Ghana’s answer to The United States’ Silicon Valley.
Towards global competitiveness
The project is a component of the National Development
Policy Framework or the Government of Ghana in partnership with Rlg
Communications, one of the country’s biggest technology companies. In his
speech, President Mahama clarifies that private investors will play a key role
in making Hope City a reality. He said that it is about time for private
businesses to take over especially in telecommunications and information
technology after the government’s successful efforts at investing and leading
the country to economic growth.
Representatives of the private sector who are keen on
investing in Hope City hopes to eventually have assembly plants that mass
produce high quality products everyday. The private sector intends to create
products and services that will make Ghana globally competitive.
Historical firsts
Ghana holds many “firsts” under its belt. It is the first
area in Africa’s sub-Saharan region that saw Europeans arrive with the intent
to trade. At first it was for gold and eventually slave trading commenced.
Ghana was the first country to become independent from its European colonizers
(the British) in the region in 1957.
Political and economic reforms
After independence it fell to political turmoil in
corruption and its rich natural resources fell to poor management and military
rule. In 1992 democracy came to Ghana and it is now recognized by other Africa
nations in the sub-Saharan region as a bastion of socio-economic and political
stability. It is now the second largest producer of cocoa in the world after
Cote d’Ivore. It is also the second biggest source of gold mines after South
Africa. In 2007 Ghana came to offshore oil reserves and by 2010 it has started
producing and is the newest addition to the global oil industry.