President John Mahama is spearheading talks for the creation of a new city to decongest the country's capital, Accra, due to urbanisation.

Speaking at the Greater Accra "Thank You Tour" in Dodowa on Friday, the president noted that long-term plans to build a new city must commence.

“Accra is overstretched. The capital is facing mounting pressure from rapid urbanisation, traffic congestion, and inadequate infrastructure," the president said.

Per reports, President Mahama could be positioned near the Volta Lake, spanning parts of Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta Regions.

According to Mahama, the future city could span parts of the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Volta regions, strategically positioned near the Volta Lake.

He envisions it as a green, digital metropolis featuring industrial parks, financial services, and tourist attractions, operating as a 24-hour economy.

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) reported that as of 2021, there were 5,455,692 individuals living in Accra.

The GSS has in the past urged the government to put in the appropriate measures to address the spiking population growth in the Greater Accra Region despite its relatively smaller landscape.

“We think that policymakers must look at structure planning in the region again because the Greater Accra has the smallest land size but the population growth rate is high with highly concentrated young age.

"More people there put a lot of pressure on the land and we think the kind of structures being put up must be considered in decision making so that we make sure to contain all the people” former Deputy Government Statistician, Dr. Faustina Frempong, said.

The large population has had a direct and indirect impact on dwellers. There is much pressure on social amenities such as hospitals and schools and on road infrastructure due to traffic congestion, overcrowding, and filth, among others.