President John Dramani Mahama has cut the sod for the construction of the Airport Garden City, a major mixed-use development in Accra, with its developers projecting more than 3,000 jobs for Ghanaians.
Delivering the keynote address at the ceremony, Mahama commended Sentuo Group for its continued investment in Ghana and said projects of that nature were important to job creation and economic growth.
He assured investors of the government’s support for investments that create employment, stimulate economic activity and contribute to national development.
Airport Garden City is planned as an integrated development comprising residential facilities, a hotel and conference centre, healthcare services, shopping areas, gardens and recreational facilities.
The project is also expected to provide facilities for international conferences and meetings, while strengthening Accra’s position as a destination for business, tourism and urban living.
The Executive Chairman of Sentuo Group, Mr Xu Ningquan, announced the employment target at a sod-cutting ceremony in Accra yesterday, which also marked the opening of the project’s sales office.
He said the project would create opportunities for artisans, technicians, engineers, hospitality professionals and managers, while also providing apprenticeships and practical training for young Ghanaians.
Mr Xu said international specialists working on the project would be required to transfer their expertise to their Ghanaian counterparts to ensure that the skills and knowledge acquired through the investment remained in the country.
He indicated that Ghanaian creativity would also be incorporated into the project’s landscaping, art and interior design, while Ghanaian food and hospitality would form part of the visitor experience.
He said the group’s confidence in Ghana had grown through its investments in the steel, ceramics and oil refining sectors.
According to him, the ultimate measure of Airport Garden City’s success would be the number of Ghanaian jobs and local business contracts created, the skills developed and the homes successfully delivered to their owners.
Sentuo Group pledged to ensure affordability, transparent pricing and clear contractual terms for prospective homeowners.
The company said prospective buyers would be provided with information on property rights, payment obligations, delivery schedules and post-handover services before committing their funds.
The Minister for Works and Housing, Ahmed Ibrahim, for his part urged developers to make greater use of vertical development to help address Ghana’s housing deficit, particularly in Accra, where pressure on available land continues to increase.
He said building upwards would help maximise the use of limited land and increase the number of housing units available to Ghanaians.
Mr Ibrahim also described Ghana as an attractive destination for investment and stressed the importance of public-private partnerships in expanding the country’s housing stock.
