Odaw River dredging to be completed by December 2027 — Works Minister

The dredging of the Odaw River aimed at reducing flooding in Accra is expected to be completed by December 2027, the Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has disclosed.

The minister made the announcement while answering questions on the floor of Parliament on Friday, June 26.

He said ongoing works on the Odaw drainage system form part of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project, which seeks to address flooding challenges in the capital.

According to the minister, the drainage project commenced in July 2024 and involves the construction of a 1.5-kilometre box culvert structure from Nima-Paloma to the Odaw River.

"The Odaw River drainage system is being implemented under the GARID project. The drainage system commenced in July 2024 and comprises the construction of a 1.5-kilometre box cover structure from the Nima-Paloma to the Odaw River for a duration of 18 months,” he told Parliament.

Mr. Adjei, however, disclosed that the contract for the project had been terminated because of the poor performance of the contractor.

He explained that although the contract had been terminated, some critical works remained incomplete and required urgent attention to prevent flooding and other challenges.

“At the point of termination, there were still some ongoing works at critical stages, which required immediate completion. The ministry therefore sought approval from the World Bank to immediately complete these critical works whilst repackaging of the project to continue,” the minister said.

He listed the outstanding works to include the demolition of portions of the Odaw channel walls to prevent sediment build-up and flooding, completion of downstream drains to connect the channel, and the construction of drainage sections upstream that had been stripped and demolished.

The minister further indicated that the government requires commitment authorisation from the Ministry of Finance to facilitate the re-tendering and continuation of the project.

The Odaw River remains one of the major drainage channels in Accra, with flooding along its banks contributing to recurrent floods in several parts of the capital during heavy rains.