As skyscrapers continue to rise across Ghana’s urban landscape, one question looms larger than the structures themselves: who is ensuring they are safe?
Ghana’s Fire Service reportedly lacks hydrants and firefighting equipment that can reach beyond 75 feet—yet permits are still being granted for high-rise buildings across major cities like Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi. In the event of a fire or emergency, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Copying Without Context
“We watch foreign movies and rush to replicate skylines without the systems, safety, and evaluation processes that make such developments viable in the West,” a safety analyst stated. “We don’t ask the hard questions. We don’t plan for the worst before it happens.”
Who issues these permits? Are the Ghana Standards Authority, Fire Service, insurance companies, and town planning departments working together? Often, the answer is no.
Broken Coordination and Loose Regulations
Most high-rise buildings in Ghana lack proper chimneys, ventilation systems, and even certified elevators. The lifts used in many commercial buildings are not inspected or approved by the appropriate safety bodies. And yet, construction goes on, and the buildings are filled with people.
The Ghana Standards Authority has a crucial role to play. But experts argue that if it were actively enforcing its mandate, fake electrical materials and substandard components would never enter the market—let alone be installed in public buildings.
Markets in Flames: A Sign of System Failure
Recurring fires in Ghana’s major markets and commercial centers are not mere accidents—they are the consequence of poor standards enforcement and unchecked risk. Faulty wiring, fake circuit breakers, overloaded systems—these are not random mishaps. They are failures of oversight.
Call for Reform
There is an urgent need for Ghana Standards Authority and all regulatory agencies to coordinate more rigorously. Safety certifications for lifts, electrical installations, and fire systems in commercial buildings must become non-negotiable.
If Ghana wants to grow vertically, it must first build a foundation of accountability and safety. Without that, we’re not rising—we’re risking lives.
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