Bright Simons is a policy analyst
Policy analyst Bright Simons has warned that Ghana’s National Cathedral project could ultimately cost taxpayers over $1 billion, despite less than 10% of the construction being completed.
In a post shared on X on July 19, 2025, and sighted by GhanaWeb Business, Simons noted that although the Cathedral was originally projected to cost $100 million, recent figures from its auditors now estimate the total cost at $350 million.
He revealed that nearly $100 million has already been spent, with minimal progress to show, suggesting that the final bill could easily exceed $1 billion if the project is completed.
“The latest revised figure used by its auditors is $350 million. With less than 10% completed, $100 million has already been spent, suggesting that the total budget would likely top $1 billion. Some people argue that with nearly $100 million spent already (on an accrual basis), the country might as well complete it,” Simons wrote.
He cautioned against such reasoning, describing it as a classic case of the “sunk cost fallacy”, a flawed approach that could lead to significant long-term financial losses for the state.
In response to claims by the Cathedral’s board of trustees that the project could eventually become self-sustaining through tourism, Simons countered that Ghana receives far fewer annual visitors compared to countries like Germany.
He cited Cologne Cathedral, which attracts over six million tourists yearly but still relies heavily on private donations for its upkeep.
“In fact, without a dedicated worldwide voluntary association that donates regularly to fund Cologne Cathedral, it wouldn’t be possible to maintain it. All the evidence suggests, therefore, that the National Cathedral, if completed, would become another loss-making entity requiring permanent government subsidies,” he explained.
Simons stressed the need for a thorough cost-benefit analysis to be embedded in all government-funded projects to prevent wasteful spending and financial mismanagement.
Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees for the project have expressed disappointment over the President’s directive to the Attorney General to initiate steps to dissolve it, despite the absence of any formal findings of misconduct and the ongoing investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
“This is particularly troubling,” the Board noted, “given that, acting on the President’s directive, we were actively engaged in discussions with the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs on the future of the project,” they stated.
The National Cathedral project, initiated under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration, has long been a subject of national interest, especially regarding issues of funding, accountability, and transparency.
1. Ghana’s National Cathedral was initially budgeted to cost $100 million.
2. The latest revised figure used by its auditors is $350 million.
3. However, with less than 10% completed, $100 million has already been spent, suggesting that the total budget would likely top $1bn.… pic.twitter.com/Ak1iPbIvhI
— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) July 19, 2025
SP/MA
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