Former Works and Housing Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says the Mahama administration’s continued use of private-sector participation in the Saglemi Housing Project vindicates the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model introduced under the previous government.
His comments follow President John Mahama’s inspection of the project, with developers targeting the completion of 700 homes by March 2027.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, August 23, 2026, the Ofoase-Ayirebi MP stated that the PPP arrangement faced strong political opposition when it was introduced, including accusations that the government was selling off the Saglemi project.
He says the arrangement was necessary to attract private capital to complete the stalled development.
“It is clear evidence, first of all, that the PSP model that we put in place is being vindicated, contrary to all the stories that were told at the time and all the partisan smear that was put up.”
The original project, financed with about $200 million, was expected to deliver 5,000 homes, but only 1,506 units were partially completed.
Government later estimated that an additional $100 million was needed to complete the houses and supporting infrastructure.
“The major challenge at the time was how to find between $60 and $100 million to revive the project. It was clear that finding public-sector money to continue some of these projects was going to be difficult, so we came up with a public-private partnership to bring private-sector participation in.”
Oppong Nkrumah insists the private-sector process was transparent and designed to protect the state’s investment.
He is also calling for a transparent allocation system and affordable mortgage financing to ensure ordinary Ghanaians can afford the completed homes.
“There needs to be a transparent sales model where people can actually go, put in a bid and have an opportunity to purchase by mortgage any of these properties.”
The former minister says PPPs can help address Ghana’s housing and infrastructure deficits while reducing lengthy approval processes that often delay projects.
“One of the major things when it comes to public-private partnerships is speed. A lot more attention needs to be paid to the question of how to speed up the processes.”
He has urged political actors to avoid undermining projects simply because they were initiated by political opponents.
“If a model is rolled out, if a project is rolled out, and it’s good for Ghana, it’s good for Ghana. Let’s continue with it, and let’s give credit where credit is due.”
700 units of Saglemi Housing Project to be completed by March 2027 – Mahama
