Who Will Fund Ghana’s Stalled National Cathedral Now?

Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has ruled out using taxpayers’ money to finance the country’s stalled National Cathedral project, saying the Christian community should mobilize the resources needed to complete it. Mahama made the comments during a town hall meeting in Wa on September 12, 2026, as part of his tour of Ghana’s Upper West Region. He suggested that Christians in Ghana and abroad could contribute toward the project, proposing that a contribution of GH¢1,000 from each Christian could provide sufficient funds for construction. The president clarified that his position should not be interpreted as opposition to the idea of a National Cathedral. Instead, he raised concerns about the project’s financing, its proposed location and the properties that were demolished to make way for the development. Mahama said the project was originally presented as a personal commitment by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo rather than as a formal national policy. For this reason, he said his administration should not use taxpayers’ money to finance it. The comments come as the Christian Council of Ghana examines possible options for the future of the project. The Council has established a technical committee representing different Christian groups to study the practical issues surrounding the cathedral. The committee has been given a one-month period to develop recommendations on funding, location and other outstanding matters. Its recommendations are expected to be submitted to the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs before being forwarded to President Mahama. The proposed location in central Accra is another issue raised by the president. Mahama said the area already contains major public facilities, including Parliament, the Accra International Conference Centre, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and the National Theatre. He questioned whether adding another major development would place further pressure on the area. He also raised concerns about properties that were demolished during preparations for the project. According to Mahama, the demolished properties included 10 judges’ residences, the residence of the Malian ambassador and the former Passport Office. The National Cathedral project was announced in 2018 under former President Akufo-Addo. It was planned as a major Christian landmark in Accra, with a 5,000-seat auditorium, chapels, a baptistery, a music school, an art gallery and a Bible museum and documentation centre. The project has faced financial and administrative questions. A Deloitte and Touche audit covering the National Cathedral Secretariat’s operations from 2021 to 2023 reportedly identified financial irregularities, procurement breaches and concerns about due process. Following the audit, Mahama’s administration dissolved the National Cathedral Secretariat in 2025 and began steps to dissolve its Board of Trustees. A separate forensic audit was also ordered to examine the project’s finances and administration. Government communications minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu said in July 2025 that about $58 million had been widely reported as paid or committed to the project, while a further $39 million was reportedly outstanding to the contractor. The government therefore estimated the total financial exposure at about $97 million at the site. The forensic audit has since been completed and was submitted to Ghana’s Attorney-General, Dominic Ayine, for review. The report is intended to examine the transactions associated with the project and determine responsibility for any irregularities identified. Mahama said the forensic report would also be made available to the Christian Council so that Christian leaders could consider the findings while discussing the cathedral’s future. The Christian Council’s technical committee will therefore consider the project’s financing and location alongside the findings of the forensic investigation. Its work is expected to help Christian leaders develop recommendations on how the National Cathedral project could proceed without relying on taxpayer funding. The future of Ghana’s National Cathedral will depend on the outcome of these discussions, including decisions about financing, location and the findings of the ongoing review of the project’s previous administration.