By Sammy CRABBE
The role of government as catalyst, not controller
Great cities are rarely built by governments alone. Yet without deliberate and strategic support, even the most visionary projects can stall. For the One Square Mile to succeed, government’s role must be catalytic – not controlling.
It must create an enabling environment that de-risks early investments, signals long-term stability, and sets up a governance framework that rewards innovation and commitment.
This support must be disciplined and future-focused. While government backing signals national priority, excessive interference could deter the very investors and partners the project needs.
From the outset, the relationship between public and private sectors must be rules-based, transparent, and carefully bounded to allow the city to thrive independently.
Strategic government support – De-risking early investment
Government’s most valuable role in early phases is de-risking. Investors in new cities face significant uncertainty – untested governance, incomplete infrastructure, and unclear markets.
Strategic interventions can reduce these risks without compromising the city’s autonomy. The most impactful support includes transferring land into the One Square Mile Land Trust and funding basic infrastructure such as arterial roads, utilities, and transport corridors. These actions reduce upfront costs and show concrete commitment.
Regulatory stability is equally important. Fast-tracking permits, streamlining land use approvals, and offering tax incentives for priority sectors will greatly boost investor confidence. Declaring the area a legally protected special economic zone will offer additional assurance against policy reversals.
Financial guarantees – such as minimum revenue commitments or partial risk guarantees – can further tip investor decisions. Government must act decisively where market confidence is weakest, clearing the path for the private sector to lead once key viability milestones are met.
The power of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)
Public-Private Partnerships must be central to building the One Square Mile. Properly structured, PPPs can deliver infrastructure faster, at lower cost, and with greater innovation than public investment alone.
Private firms in PPPs typically finance, build, and operate facilities over a set period, recouping investments through usage fees or service charges. These partnerships can be used to deliver core city functions such as smart grids, fibre-optic networks, electric mobility corridors, renewable energy hubs, water systems, and health centres.
However, not all PPPs are equal. Poorly designed ones can become opaque or burdensome. For the One Square Mile, PPPs must be competitively tendered, transparently governed, and performance-based.
Contracts must include clear, enforceable obligations. Risk must be allocated rationally – construction risk to private operators; regulatory risk mitigated by public guarantees. Every PPP must align with the city’s broader mission of inclusion, innovation, and sustainability – not just profitability.
Structuring PPP opportunities in the One Square Mile
To attract global-calibre partners, the One Square Mile Authority must actively shape and promote PPP opportunities with clarity and purpose. A PPP Opportunities Framework should be developed, identifying high-potential infrastructure projects based on complexity, scale, revenue potential, and strategic value. Standardized PPP templates – covering contract terms, risk allocation, and performance benchmarks – should be published to reduce transaction costs and build investor trust.
A dedicated PPP Facilitation Unit will be essential. Staffed with engineers, lawyers, and financial experts, this unit will manage preparation, bidding, negotiation, and contract oversight.
Target PPP projects include solar energy farms, water recycling systems, electric vehicle (EV) corridors, smart clinics, data centres, and waste-to-energy facilities. Cultural assets like museums and sports hubs can also use blended finance if they have viable commercial models. By curating a pipeline of ready, mission-aligned projects, the One Square Mile will become one of Africa’s most attractive urban investment environments.
Incentives for private sector participation
Beyond de-risking and structuring, targeted incentives will drive quality private sector participation. Investors in critical sectors – green energy, health tech, mobility, affordable housing, education, and digital infrastructure – should be eligible for tailored benefits. These may include tax holidays, duty exemptions on capital goods, fast-tracked permitting, and prioritized access to land and facilities. Anchor investors could receive preferential lease terms to encourage early commitments and unlock momentum.
Non-financial incentives are also powerful. Joint branding campaigns, innovation expos, recognition awards, and government-led summits can elevate investor visibility and strengthen reputational value. However, all incentives must reward alignment with the city’s core values: innovation, inclusion, and sustainability – not just capital deployment.
Keeping the public interest at the centre
Private investment must never override public good. Safeguards must ensure that PPPs and investor activity advance affordability, equity, transparency, and long-term sustainability. Service fees must be regulated to remain fair for residents and businesses. Environmental and social impact assessments must be thorough and binding. Open data protocols should allow public monitoring of service quality and performance.
Community benefit agreements must be built into major PPP contracts, ensuring that local residents gain jobs, training, and reinvestment from large-scale developments. Governance frameworks must hold all actors accountable while preserving operational autonomy. Building a city for innovation also means building a city for justice. Balancing public purpose with private ambition is not a constraint – it’s the hallmark of great urban governance.
Conclusion – Catalyzing the future through partnership
Government cannot and should not build the One Square Mile alone. Its role is to spark private sector confidence, remove obstacles, and uphold long-term rules that foster ambition. Through targeted de-risking, robust PPP structures, and thoughtful incentives, the public sector will help seed a smart, sustainable city – built not by bureaucracies, but by bold partnerships. Ghana can show the world how visionary governance, when matched with private excellence, can build not just a modern city – but a lasting legacy.
>>>the writer is a PhD researcher specializing in blockchains and decentralized finance at the University of Bradford. He holds an MBA in International Marketing and a post-graduate certificate is research from the International University of Monaco. Sammy was the first president of the Ghana Business Outsourcing Association and developed Africa’s first data entry operation and Ghana’s first medical transcription company. He can be reached via [email protected]
