01 / 2019
MiDA / MCC
Resettlement & Community Engagement — LV Bifurcation & Network Improvement, Kwabenya & Legon
Energy & Infrastructure Resettlement — Greater Accra
04
Energy & Infrastructure Resettlement
Resettlement & Community Engagement — HVDS Installation, Makola, Dansoman, Nii-Boiman & Kaneshie
- Client
- MiDA / MCC
- Funder
- Millennium Challenge Corporation
- Year
- 2019
- Location
- Makola, Dansoman, Nii-Boiman & Kaneshie markets, Accra
- Client type
- Development Partner
- Region(s)
- Greater Accra
01
The assignment
MiDA / MCC's Ghana Power Compact included a high-voltage distribution system (HVDS) installation across major Accra markets — Makola, Dansoman, Nii-Boiman, and Kaneshie — to upgrade electricity supply and reduce commercial losses. The works required temporary and permanent relocation of market vendors, traders, and businesses operating in and around the affected infrastructure corridors. Devtplan Consult was engaged to lead the resettlement and community-engagement function, ensuring that the process met MCC's social-safeguard standards.
02
Our approach
Devtplan conducted a rapid but comprehensive socio-economic enumeration of all traders, vendors, and small businesses operating within the project footprint at each of the four markets. Each affected person was assessed for their livelihood source, income level, asset value, tenure status, and vulnerability characteristics. Devtplan then designed and delivered a structured community sensitisation programme — informing market traders about the works schedule, their entitlements, and the grievance mechanism. A multi-stakeholder engagement process involving market queens, traders' associations, community leaders, and MiDA officials ensured that affected parties had a meaningful voice in the resettlement process. Compensation packages were calculated against MCC's valuation standards and Ghanaian legal requirements.
03
The outcome
The community engagement process enabled the works to proceed at all four market sites with minimal disruption and without sustained organised resistance. All identified affected persons were enumerated, their entitlements were assessed, and compensation was processed in accordance with MCC requirements. The grievance mechanism operated throughout the works period, providing a channel for complaints and queries that were resolved before escalating to project-level disputes. The assignment was completed within the project timeline and met MCC's social-safeguard due-diligence requirements.
04
Key figures
≈ 4,200+
affected traders and vendors enumerated (illustrative)
4+
major markets covered
100%+
grievances resolved at project level (illustrative)
Figures shown are illustrative for this demo.
"The careful enumeration of market vendors at Makola — one of West Africa's busiest markets — set the standard for how large-scale urban resettlement should be approached."
Related work
02 / 2019
MiDA / MCC
Resettlement & Community Engagement — Primary Substations, Kanda & UG Medical Centre Legon
Energy & Infrastructure Resettlement — Greater Accra