The Takoradi Monkey Hill, a vital primate habitat and conservation area, faces potential destruction due to the ongoing Paa Grant Interchange and Sekondi Takoradi Township Road Phase I project. Although the project began in 2022 and is nearing completion, pressing environmental concerns remain unaddressed. The road segment from the Takoradi Technical University (TTU) junction off the Paa Grant Roundabout to the Sekondi Prisons is almost complete. However, work on the interchange at the Paa Grant Roundabout has yet to commence, as it remains stalled pending progress on the PTC interchange.
Additionally, construction on the main road leading from the Paa Grant Roundabout to the TTU Junction has not started. These delays stem from cautionary notes highlighted in an environmental impact assessment conducted for the project. Frederick Faidoo, Mayor of Sekondi Takoradi, speaking on Media General’s Takoradi-based radio station Connect FM’s Asem Yi Dzi Ka show on September 2, explained that the project consultants are particularly concerned about this sensitive ecological zone. “The work [on the road] has stopped around the ICGC area due to environmental concerns. We want to develop Monkey Hill into an ecotourism site. It is rare to have a sanctuary for monkeys right in the middle of a city like Takoradi. Developing it as a tourist attraction could generate significant revenue,” he stated. “The trees there serve as a natural canopy for the monkeys, allowing them to move across the road to access feeding areas. To convert the road into a dual carriageway, part of this natural habitat would need to be destroyed. The environmental assessment recommended building an artificial canopy to compensate for the loss of the natural environment,” he said.
Frederick Faidoo, Mayor of Sekondi Takoradi
Mayor Faidoo expressed concern that the primate habitat could be seriously affected if modifications are not made to the project design. “If that area is destroyed, the monkeys might be forced to relocate—unless we modify the road’s design,” he noted. For years, Friends of the Nation, a local civil society organization specializing in environmental conservation, have advocated for the preservation of this forest cover. However, it remains unclear when or how the local assembly plans to develop Monkey Hill into the anticipated ecotourism facility.