Renowned real estate entrepreneur and investment strategist, Lord Ibrahim Sani, has issued a clarion call to the Government of Ghana to embrace structured public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a transformative solution to the country’s deepening housing deficit.
Ghana currently faces a housing shortfall estimated at 1.8 to 2 million units, with rapid urbanisation and population growth placing intense pressure on housing infrastructure, particularly in urban centres such as Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale.
Speaking at a private investment roundtable in the UK, Lord Sani stated that Ghana cannot close this gap through public funding alone.
“No government in the world can single-handedly eradicate a housing deficit of this magnitude,” he said. “The solution lies in well-coordinated partnerships that bring together the innovation of the private sector and the regulatory and infrastructural power of the state.”
Lord Sani, Group CEO of Sani Properties and a long-standing advocate for sustainable housing development, criticised what he described as a piecemeal and overly politicised approach to housing delivery in Ghana. He noted that public housing schemes often suffer from underfunding, delays, poor planning, and lack of continuity across political administrations.
Referencing failed and stalled government housing projects such as the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project, he argued that “without private-sector discipline, scale, and accountability, such initiatives struggle to make meaningful impact.”
At the centre of Lord Sani’s proposal is a PPP-driven model that leverages private capital, eco-innovation, and government facilitation to deliver large-scale, low-cost housing at speed. His company’s flagship model employs affordability ,quality of service and price leadership can significantly reduces construction time, cost, and environmental impact.
“With the right support from government, particularly land availability, permits, and basic infrastructure like roads and water, we can build at a good cost ” he said.
He further called for a national PPP housing framework to guide collaboration between ministries, municipal assemblies, land commissions, financial institutions, and credible developers. The framework, he noted, should include transparent procurement processes, performance-based incentives, and post-construction maintenance planning.
Lord Sani emphasised that land acquisition and titling bottlenecks remain one of the biggest impediments to housing delivery. He called on the Lands Commission and Ministry of Works and Housing to fast-track the digitisation of land records and streamline the issuance of land titles.
“We must demystify and de-risk the land sector,” he urged. “Multiple land sales, litigation, and land guard interference discourage both local and foreign investment in housing. Reform is not optional – it is urgent.”
He also advocated for urban planning reforms that integrate affordable housing into city expansion plans, rather than isolating low-income homes on city outskirts with limited access to jobs and infrastructure.
According to the real estate mogul, solving the housing crisis is not merely a social necessity, but also a major economic opportunity. A well-executed national housing agenda, backed by PPPs, he said, could create over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs across construction, manufacturing, engineering, and real estate services.
“We are talking about a trillion-cedi opportunity that touches every sector – and changes lives in the process, the future of housing in Ghana must be inclusive, smart, and green,” Lord Sani concluded. “And it must be delivered through partnership – not promises.”
