In Accra, the profiling was undertaken under the leadership of national and local authorities. This initiative has been carried out locally in Accra, Tamale, Ho as well as nationally. The National Urban Profile focuses on the findings of a desk-study, interviews with key actors and a town consultation with key urban actors and institutions.

Consultation participants agreed to address the salient urban issues including poverty, insecurity, corruption, pollution and crime all problems that negatively affect investments and economic development. A consensus was reached on priority interventions in the form of programme and project proposals to be implemented.

Secure land and property rights for all are essential to reducing poverty because they underpin economic development and social inclusion. Secure land tenure and property rights enable people in urban and rural areas to invest in improved homes and livelihoods. Although many countries have completely restructured their legal and regulatory framework related to land and they have tried to harmonize modern statutory law with customary ones, millions of people around the world still have insecure land tenure and property rights.

This report addresses and assesses the issue of tenure security  in several countries where government, civil society, the private sector and development cooperation initiatives have been implemented for decades. The selected case studies from fifteen (15) countries (Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, The Philippines, Thailand, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala) ensure not only ageographic balance but they also represent countries with different socio-economic and land-related histories and that have followed different pathways. The studies’ key findings underline the still precariousstate of tenure security in many countries.

The UN-HABITAT Country Programme Document for Ghana outlines the main objectives and priorities of UN-HABITAT. In collaboration with the Government and other United Nations Agencies, the overall aim of this UN-HABITAT Country Programme Document is to promote the HABITAT Agenda. UN-HABITAT plays an active role in urban development and urban policy.

Through partnerships with the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and the Environment and the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, UN-HABITAT has assisted in identifying key urban issues and areas of support for improvement of the urban situation in Ghana.

The need to provide adequate, suitable and equitable housing has remained a major priority of every government. Even though housing is a basic necessity of life, more than half of the population in Ghana live in poor houses where they have no access to adequate sanitary facilities, water and warmth to meet their daily physical needs.

Tamale is the fourth largest city in Ghana with a population of 293,881 people and a growth rate of 3.5%. The size of Tamale is approximately 922km sq. The city is the capital of the Northern Region and many people from all over the northern region have migrated into the city.

Economic activities in Tamale revolve around farming and trading. The northern region is one of the poorest regions in the country and most residents do not have access to the basic urban services.

The Ghana Urban Housing Sector Profile is a comprehensive in-depth analysis of the urban housing sector, focusing on its strengths and weaknesses. The Profile contributes to the creation of a framework that enables provision of adequate housing for all. It builds a comprehensive understanding of the functioning of the urban housing sector that can serve as authoritative reference for all actors in the housing sector.

It provides a series of recommendations for policy design and to the key stakeholders in the housing delivery system, including prioritized actions necessary for its improvement.