Neoliberalism and the growth of slums in Accra, Ghana

The insurgence of neoliberal policies in urban planning has resulted in extreme urban inequalities, featured in the proliferation of slums in developing countries. Yet the conventional literature addressing the drivers of slum growth has remained silent on the impact of neoliberalism on the production of slums. This article aimed to distil the critical role of neoliberalism in slum production in Accra, Ghana. The study relied primarily on secondary data by adopting the Boolean search methodology to obtain scholarly works, articles, reports, websites and books in online journal publishing resources. The findings indicated that through land commercialization and housing commodification, neoliberalism has played an active and passive role in Ghana’s housing market, resulting in slum development in Accra. To curb slum growth and improve the living conditions of slum dwellers, it is recommended that the state assume an active role in regulating housing provision, undertake slum upgrading, and invest in low-income housing.