In 2013, a project called “Petronia City” was launched. The project is a proposed 2000-acre city development project that aims to provide the first fully integrated business hub for West Africa’s oil, gas, and mining industries.
It is located about 8 kilometers from Takoradi, the capital of Ghana’s Western Region, which is rich in natural resources and has a strategic position on the Atlantic coast.
The project is to design and offer residential, office, industrial, commercial, leisure, and hospitality spaces for local and international businesses and residents.
But has the project become a white elephant similar to projects like Hope City?
Details
The project was founded by Wonda World Estates, a joint venture between Ghanaian serial entrepreneur Nana Kwame Bediako and British multi-millionaire property developer Azad Cola, who owns the prestigious Westbury Hotel. The project is also supported by the Petronia City Development affiliate, which is responsible for the planning and execution of the city.
Digging Deeper
The project was launched in 2013 to address the infrastructure deficit in Ghana’s Western Region following the 2007 oil discovery and associated growth in socio-economic activity in the region. The project also aims to create a sustainable and inclusive city that will foster innovation, collaboration, and social development.
The project is set to be carried out in phases, with the first phase being a 70-acre model of the entire complex, starting with the installation of world-class basic infrastructure. In this phase, commercial and residential facilities will be built, including a four-star hotel with a 200-seat conference center, four office buildings totaling 22,000 square meters, schools, and clinics, a leisure center, a shopping mall, 25 executive villas with three and four bedrooms, and 140 studio, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments.
The second phase of the project will see the creation of West Africa’s first Energy City, which will serve as the primary business hub and office park for international oil, gas, and mining companies. The Energy City will allow industry leaders in oil and gas exploration, production, and related support services to collaborate and form a more effective business community by leveraging shared resources, technology transfer, and improved information flow.
The second phase will also include the development of Petronia City’s Golf City, the first of its kind in West Africa. The Golf City will be a golf-centered community and tourism destination that will attract tourists from all over the world. The Golf City will have luxury villas and apartments, a boutique hotel, a clubhouse, retail stores, and restaurants set in 365 acres of beautiful terrain. The Golf City is expected to be home to the only 18-hole elite championship golf course in the territory.
The final phase of the project will involve the development of the city’s light and heavy industrial zones. These zones will house facilities for electricity generation, water treatment, recycling plants, and aluminum and bauxite production. The light and heavy industrial zones will provide cutting-edge infrastructure, reliable power, and access to resources and consumers for enterprises wishing to develop or enter industrial production.
What Was Said At The Time
According to Nana Kwame Bediako, the project is to turn the allocated land into “an industrial free trade zone and investment community, a Silicon Valley-esque energy city and a digital hub, with residential and commercial applications that we are only now in the process of fully exploring“.
Progress So Far?
As of December 2023, major development of the city has yet to begin. A Youtuber in 2021 went to visit the site and so far, the work on the site seems to be at a standstill.
Zooming Out
The Pretoria City project is becoming similar to large-scale projects like Hope City which unfortunately failed to take off.
After more than 10 years, we do not have sufficient information to conclude whether this project will be continued or if it’s facing permanent stasis.
But we would not be surprised if this project does not come to fruition like others in the past.
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