Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly

• Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE): Hon. George Justice Arthur
• Presiding Member: Hon. Nana Awuku.
• Members of Parliament:
  • Cape Coast North: Hon. Dr. Kwamena Minta Nyarku
  • Cape Coast South: Hon. Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan
• Assembly Structure: The Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly is the highest political and administrative authority in the metropolis. It operates through the General Assembly, Presiding Member, Executive Committee, statutory sub-committees, Metropolitan Coordinating Directorate and decentralized departments. Administratively, the metropolis is divided into two Sub-Metropolitan District Councils: Cape Coast North and Cape Coast South. The Assembly has 45 electoral areas and seven mandatory subsidiary committees.
• Assembly Membership: The Assembly has 45 elected members and 19 government-appointed members, alongside the Metropolitan Chief Executive. The two Members of Parliament participate as ex-officio members without voting rights. This gives a broader institutional composition of 67 members when the MCE and two MPs are included. The 45 elected members correspond to the metropolis’s 45 electoral areas.

• Key Sectors of Focus:
  • Tourism & Culture – Leveraging Cape Coast Castle, cultural heritage sites, and festivals to boost tourism.
  • Education – Expansion of basic and secondary schools, support for tertiary institutions like University of Cape Coast, and ICT integration.
  • Health & Social Services – Upgrading Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, expanding CHPS compounds, and improving sanitation systems.
  • Infrastructure & Transport – Road rehabilitation, drainage systems, and coastal protection projects.
  • Local Economic Development – MSME support, entrepreneurship training, and tourism-driven business growth.
  • Environmental Management – Waste management, coastal erosion control, and climate adaptation programmes.

• Flagship Projects & Programmes:
  • Tourism: Development of Cape Coast Castle precinct, cultural festivals, and eco-tourism sites.
  • Education: ICT labs for schools, vocational training centres, and classroom blocks in peri-urban communities.
  • Health: Expansion of Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, maternal health outreach, and sanitation improvement projects.
  • Infrastructure: Rehabilitation of Cape Coast–Elmina road, storm drain construction, and coastal protection works.
  • Local Economic Development: Business incubators for youth, tourism-related SMEs, and automation of IGF collection.
  • Environment: Waste segregation and recycling projects, afforestation campaigns, and shoreline protection.

• SDGs Alignment:
  • SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being): Strengthening healthcare facilities and maternal health services.
  • SDG 4 (Quality Education): Classroom expansion, ICT integration, and vocational training.
  • SDG 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation): Improved sanitation coverage and water supply systems.
  • SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth): SME support, youth employment, and tourism-driven economic growth.
  • SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure): Road rehabilitation, ICT integration, and tourism infrastructure.
  • SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities): Flood control, coastal protection, and urban renewal.
  • SDG 13 (Climate Action): Climate resilience projects, afforestation, and disaster risk reduction.
  • SDG 14 (Life Below Water): Coastal and marine ecosystem protection.
  • SDG 15 (Life on Land): Forest conservation, watershed protection, and biodiversity preservation.

• Health Facilities:
  • Cape Coast Teaching Hospital – The main referral and teaching facility serving the metropolis and the Central Region.
  • Health Centres – Located in communities such as Abura, Pedu, and Adisadel, providing outpatient and maternal health services.
  • CHPS Compounds – Spread across peri-urban and rural areas to deliver primary healthcare closer to residents.
  • Private Clinics & Pharmacies – Complement government facilities with specialized care, diagnostics, and laboratory services.

• Educational Institutions:
  • Basic Schools – Numerous public and private primary and JHS across the metropolis.
  • Senior High Schools – Prestigious institutions such as Adisadel College, Mfantsipim School, Wesley Girls’ High School, and St. Augustine’s College.
  • Tertiary Institutions – University of Cape Coast (UCC), Cape Coast Technical University, and Colleges of Education.
  • Vocational & Technical Training – Skills development centres focusing on carpentry, tailoring, ICT, and tourism-related training.

•  Road Network Condition:
  • Major Roads – The Cape Coast–Accra and Cape Coast–Takoradi highways are tarred but experience congestion and require periodic maintenance.
  • Inner-city Roads – Many are tarred but deteriorating, with potholes and poor drainage.
  • Feeder Roads – Rural roads linking farming communities are untarred, becoming muddy and inaccessible during rainy seasons.
  • Ongoing Projects: Road rehabilitation, culvert construction, and drainage works to improve connectivity and reduce flooding.

• Water & Sanitation Coverage:
  • Water Supply – Ghana Water Company provides piped water, supplemented by boreholes and hand-dug wells in peri-urban areas.
  • Sanitation Facilities – Public toilets and household latrines expanded to reduce open defecation.
  • Waste Management – Door-to-door collection in Cape Coast township, communal skips, and private contractors like Zoomlion.
  • Challenges: Irregular waste collection, poor disposal practices, and limited recycling facilities in rural and coastal communities.

• Waste Management Systems:
  • Door-to-door collection – Managed by private contractors in Cape Coast township to reduce indiscriminate dumping.
  • Communal skips – Placed in densely populated areas to serve households without direct collection services.
  • Recycling initiatives – School-based waste segregation, small-scale plastic recycling, and composting projects.
  • Challenges: Irregular collection schedules, inadequate disposal sites, and poor compliance with sanitation bye-laws in peri-urban and coastal communities.

• Climate Adaptation Efforts:
  • Flood control – Construction of storm drains and desilting of waterways to reduce seasonal flooding in Cape Coast township.
  • Afforestation projects – Tree planting campaigns in schools, parks, and degraded lands to combat deforestation.
  • Watershed protection – Safeguarding river basins and coastal water sources to ensure sustainable supply.
  • Community sensitization – Education campaigns on waste disposal, flood preparedness, and climate resilience.
  • Coastal protection – Initiatives to safeguard Cape Coast’s shoreline against erosion and rising sea levels.

• Environmental Challenges:
  • Deforestation – Logging, farming, and settlement expansion threaten forest reserves and river catchment areas.
  • Flooding – Poor drainage systems in Cape Coast and riverine communities cause seasonal floods.
  • Waste disposal – Indiscriminate dumping of plastics and refuse in open spaces and drains.
  • Soil erosion – Farming on slopes without proper conservation measures leads to land degradation.
  • Sand winning impacts – Unregulated sand mining contributes to erosion, loss of arable land, and environmental degradation.
  • Coastal erosion – Rising sea levels and unregulated sand winning threaten Cape Coast’s coastline.

• Public Engagement Strategies:
  • Town hall meetings – Regularly organized in Cape Coast township and surrounding communities to discuss budgets, development projects, and local concerns.
  • Community durbars – Traditional gatherings used to engage residents, strengthen accountability, and solicit feedback on governance.
  • Radio & local media – Local FM stations provide civic education on sanitation, health, and Assembly initiatives.
  • Digital platforms – WhatsApp groups and social media pages mobilize residents and share announcements.
  • Participatory planning – Citizens involved in prioritizing projects and resource allocation, especially in fishing and trading communities.

• Youth & Women Inclusion Mechanisms:
  • Youth employment programs – Skills training, entrepreneurship support, and job creation initiatives targeting young fishers, traders, and artisans.
  • Women’s cooperatives – Support groups for women traders, farmers, and service providers to access credit and training.
  • Scholarship schemes – Targeted support for girls and vulnerable youth in secondary and tertiary education.
  • Microfinance initiatives – Credit facilities for women-led businesses and SMEs in Cape Coast and nearby towns.
  • Youth councils – Platforms for young people to voice concerns and contribute to policy discussions.

Cape Coast South Constituency: 30 electoral areas