Kwame Nkrumah Circle’s Holy Gardens: Fire-damaged shops demand a complete overhaul

Kwame Nkrumah Circle, one of Accra’s most significant landmarks, bearing the name of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, beyond its historical value, serves as a critical commercial and transport hub – connecting thousands of commuters daily.

The area is plagued with congestion and unauthorised structures. Nkrumah Circle’s Holy Gardens have become an avenue for shops dealing in mobile phones, laptops, accessories and every conceivable electronic gadget.

The area is heavily congested to the extent that movement between shops is not only difficult but potentially dangerous. Some traders now live and work in these cramped containers, further worsening the situation.

Every day, new container shops spring up, tightening the already limited space. Walking through the area is always uncomfortable, and one cannot help but worry about what would happen in the event of an emergency. How would people be evacuated from such a choked environment?

These fears were recently confirmed when a fire outbreak destroyed more than 50 shops. Due to the extreme congestion, the Ghana National Fire Service had a very difficult time responding effectively. Accessing the heart of the fire was nearly impossible because there were no clear routes into the area.

Firefighters were forced to battle the blaze from several metres away rather than at its source The situation was made worse by the nature of the structures. Many of the containers had wooden extensions, allowing the fire to spread rapidly. As the flames intensified, shop owners hurriedly tried to salvage their goods, leading to panic and confusion. Some traders openly blamed the firefighters, accusing them of reacting too slowly, while volunteers joined efforts to help contain the inferno.

With the entire area clogged by containers and wooden structures, vehicular movement was virtually impossible. Firefighters endured extremely challenging conditions as they struggled to bring the fire under control. After more than an hour, the blaze was finally subdued, but by then, the damage had been done.

In an interview with one of the affected shop owners, he explained that the fire started on a small scale but suddenly became uncontrollable. According to him, if there had been easy access to the area, the fire could have been contained quickly.

He said he deals in foodstuffs, not mobile accessories, and lamented that he had lost everything. “I had just taken delivery of new stock yesterday, and then this happened. I am devastated and don’t know what to do,” he said. However, he added that as long as there is life, there is hope. “I will pick up the pieces that are left and move on,” he concluded.

Monica, a mobile accessories dealer, said her shop was not very close to the source of the fire, but she became extremely frightened by the speed at which the flames were spreading. She explained that she was forced to quickly evacuate all her goods in order to save them before the fire reached her shop.

An observer at the scene expressed shock that authorities could allow such structures to be erected in the city centre. He described the area as an eyesore, noting that people both live and work there under very poor conditions. According to him, the number of food vendors operating in the enclave is surprising, with some having lived and worked there for more than ten years.

He described the entire area as chaotic and poorly managed, adding that the city was fortunate that no lives were lost. “If the fire had started in the evening or at dawn, it would have been a disaster,” he said.

A resident of the area said they have complained several times to the authorities to bring some order to the arrangement of the shops and to ensure basic safety measures are enforced. According to the resident, the area has become extremely congested and poses a serious safety risk. “There are too many illegal power connections, which affect our electricity supply daily. Almost every week, we experience power outages due to overloaded transformers. We can no longer live peacefully in the neighbourhood we grew up in,” the resident said.

Paa Yaw described the situation as unacceptable, questioning how city authorities could allow such conditions to persist in the heart of the city. He noted that the entire area is choked with container shops, some of which have been built on drainage systems and walkways. He stressed the need for urgent decongestion to restore access and safety for residents and pedestrians.

Another resident lamented that the container shops have severely congested the area, making movement especially difficult for the elderly, particularly those living near the Circle drainage behind Holy Gardens. Most walkways have been blocked by containers, posing a serious risk in the event of an emergency. One such incident has already occurred, and residents were fortunate it happened in the early hours of the day; had it occurred in the evening, the outcome could have been far worse. The resident appealed to authorities to act immediately to decongest the area and ensure safety, adding that the place has now become a haven for petty crime.

Yaw, commuter, noted that the Holy Gardens have become unsafe and heavily congested, “with too many foreigners, petty thieves at every corner.” For him, the entire space urgently requires a reset   because it the heart of the city.

Most of the affected shops were burnt beyond recognition. Many shop owners lost everything, unable to salvage even a single item. The incident has once again exposed the dangers of unregulated congestion at Nkrumah Circle, Holy Gardens, and raises urgent questions about safety, planning and enforcement in one of Accra’s busiest commercial hubs.

What Holy Gardens urgently needs is a coordinated response—one that brings together the Municipal Assemblies in charge of the area, social welfare institutions, the immigration service and law enforcement. Beyond eviction exercises, solutions must address homelessness, crime and unregulated trade in a sustainable way.

Kwame Nkrumah Circle Holy Gardens is too vital a landmark to be left to decay. It deserves not neglect but decisive action and practical interventions.

The question remains: Will authorities act now—or wait for another fire or disaster to strike?

>>>Fiifi Nettey is a Media Consultant in Accra.

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