1. City Branding – Theory and Cases
Chapter 12
City Branding of Accra
Anthony Ebow Spio

2. Overview Accra as a melting pot of Ghanaian culture
Challenges to Accra’s city branding
The vision and goals of Accra
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3. Accra as a melting pot of Ghanaian culture
Accra became a very vibrant city bustling with trading and political liberation struggles in the late 1800s and early 1900s
It became a melting pot of Ghanaian culture and a cradle of the independence struggle in Africa
People from other parts of Ghana and abroad settled and traded with the Europeans while agitating for independence
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4. Exponential population growth
The population of Accra has grown exponentially since Ghana’s independence in 1957
The population grew from 338, 396 in 1960 to 1,658,937 in 2000 and is estimated to reach 4,158,728 in 2009
The rapid growth of Accra’s population over the years has led to increasing demands on its infrastructure and services such as health care, quality education, potable drinking water and decent housing
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5. The government of Ghana has taken initiatives in recent years to:
Modernize Accra and use it as a catalyst for development and the promotion of tourism
Intensify its investment in infrastructure in the city
Rehabilitate tourist attractions such as the colonial castles of Fort Ussher and Fort James and other structures in Old Accra
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6. A destination for international conferences
Accra’s location makes it a very convenient meeting destination
It is only six hours by air from key cities such as London, Paris, Johannesburg and Cairo
There are direct flights to New York and Washington, which take about hours
Accra is increasingly becoming a preferred location for international conferences and events
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7. Challenges to Accra’s city branding
Lack of clear identity and image
Limited financial resources
Government interference
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8. The vision and goals of ‘A New Accra for a Better Ghana’
Decongest Accra
Sanitation and waste management
Improve the drainage system of Accra
Modernization of the educational and health service delivery system
Enhance and mobilize revenue
Improve roads and transportation
Provide other social facilities such as electricity, water, security, and so on
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9. Accra and its people stand to derive the following benefits from a city branding initiative:
More effective bidding for international events
Better investment and tourism promotions
Transformation of a bad reputation associated with African cities to a much better image and greater profile in the international media
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10. Summary
Key challenges for Accra (and many other cities) include the lack of clear identity and image, as well as limited financial resources
By establishing a clear set of goals based on a shared vision, Accra seeks to derive varied benefits from its city branding initiative
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