… solidifies lead in West Africa’s green building market
Ghana has cemented its position as West Africa’s foremost market for sustainable construction, with the total area of EDGE-certified floor space surging past one million square meters (1,000,000 sqm / approx. 10.8 million sq ft), local officials of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have disclosed. The feat was announced at the close-out ceremony for the Designing for Greater Efficiency (DfGE) program, a joint initiative backed by the IFC and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), where stakeholders described it as a pointer to accelerating efforts to curb emissions and promote climate-resilient development within its rapidly expanding built environment.
The IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, disclosed that Ghana now accounts for the largest volume of certified green building space in the West African sub-region, encompassing more than 81 projects spanning residential, commercial, and public facilities. The figure has been largely boosted by the head offices of the nation’s top financial services providers, particularly those in its Independence Avenue enclave. According to IFC officials, this growth reflects a burgeoning demand for energy-efficient, water-saving, and climate-responsive structures, a key development in a sector historically characterised by high resource consumption.
Yewande Giwa, IFC Senior Country Officer, lauded the nation’s performance as “remarkable,” stating that Ghana delivered one of the strongest outcomes among the five nations implementing the DfGE programme. She added that it has been instrumental in mainstreaming low-carbon building practices across Ghana’s universities, professional associations, and private sector.
“The DfGE programme was designed to equip senior building design students, trainee architects, engineers and professionals with the essential skills to design resource-efficient buildings that contribute to the transition to a low-carbon future,” she said.
The numbers
Launched in 2022, the DfGE programme was established to address skills shortages and expand professional capacity in sustainable design. Ghana’s uptake significantly exceeded initial expectations. Five universities, a professional association, and a technical institute have integrated the DfGE course into their curricula. The initiative has trained 30 trainers, with 254 students and professionals completing the course. Notably, 67 of the graduates were women, signaling increased female participation in a sector traditionally dominated by men. This represents approximately 26 percent of the total trainees.
Furthermore, over 870 participants engaged in workshops, awareness sessions, and three zero-carbon design competitions nationwide. The online version of the DfGE course, which has been updated to align with the latest EDGE standards, will remain accessible post-program close-out, ensuring the continuity of the knowledge base, according to SECO.
Magdalena Wuest, Head of Cooperation at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in Ghana, highlighted the strategic importance of the green building initiative within Switzerland’s wider partnership framework. She emphasised the critical role of education in the sustainability movement, noting that the successful close-out of the DfGE programme is a testament to the strong local ownership and capacity that has been built.
“By integrating sustainability concepts into academic curricula, educational institutions can empower students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to drive systemic transformation within the construction industry and beyond,” she stated, stressing that this focus on long-term sustainability is a core principle of SECO’s development cooperation.
Ms. Wuest underscored that the milestone of one million square meters of certified space aligns directly with SECO’s commitment to advancing environmental integrity and promoting a more resilient, forward-looking Ghanaian economy. Switzerland, a global proponent of decentralised governance, sees the success of targeted, sector-specific programs like DfGE as a powerful model. “We have seen first-hand how important it is to deliver services as close to the citizens as possible,” she commented.
For the IFC, the green building mandate in Ghana is a key component of a broader climate-mitigation strategy. Globally, buildings are responsible for approximately 40 percent of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and consume roughly 37 percent of global energy. The IFC views the EDGE certification, which mandates a minimum 20 percent improvement in energy efficiency, 10 percent in water savings, and 15 percent reduction in embodied carbon compared to a local baseline, as a critical tool for reversing unsustainable consumption trends.
Paul Ocran, IFC’s Green Building Lead for Ghana, highlighted the corporation’s four-pronged sector strategy, that is, investment and advisory support for private partners, direct investment in building projects, government collaboration, and the provision of free certification tools. He specifically pointed to IFC’s support for Ghana’s Ministry of Works and Housing in developing the 2018 Ghana Building Code and amendments to building regulations.
“Ghana is the leading market for green buildings in the whole of West Africa,” Mr. Ocran stated, adding that the country’s accomplishments represent roughly a quarter of the total DfGE training outcomes from all participating countries.
Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, highlighted the government’s sustained commitment to sustainable construction.
“The government views the transition to green buildings not as a luxury, but as an indispensable pillar of our national development agenda, one that directly supports our climate commitments and ensures a more resilient future for all Ghanaians,” Mr. Adjei said.
Ghana’s emergence as a regional leader in green construction coincides with rising investor interest in sustainable infrastructure. With a growing pool of trained professionals and an expanding regulatory framework, the nation is well-positioned to attract climate-aligned capital and scale resource-efficient construction across both public and private developments.
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