The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has lauded the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and its youth partners for championing grassroots climate action following a visit to the Assembly’s rooftop garden project on Thursday.
The visit formed part of Mayor Khan’s five-day trade mission to Africa, during which he engaged leaders across the continent to deepen trade, cultural, and environmental ties between London and key African cities.
The rooftop garden, located at the top of the Accra City Hall (AMA Head Office), and titled “Green Above the Skies of Accra,” which is being implemented by the Amamomo Youth Group under the Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF) Phase II hopes to transform unused rooftop space into a thriving green farm, promoting urban agriculture, biodiversity, and sustainable living while addressing the growing impacts of climate change in city environments.
Mayor Khan, who was accompanied by the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, Coordinating Director of the AMA, Mr Douglas N.K Annoful, Special Advisor on Special Initiatives at the AMA, Mr Denzel Kwasi Humphreys, and other officials, during the tour, interacted with young project participants and described the garden as a powerful example of innovation and youth leadership in action.
“I’m truly impressed by the creativity and passion being shown by the young people here in Accra, this rooftop garden is more than just a green space; it’s a symbol of hope and local climate leadership. Projects like this are exactly what we need to confront the climate crisis and build sustainable, resilient cities,” he said.
The garden features both manually irrigated and solar-powered automated farming sections, cultivating vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, and pepper, as well as ornamental plants. It also consists of a rest area for youth volunteers, flower pots made from repurposed plastic waste, and decorative signage crafted from recycled textiles and plastics, including one that reads “Bloomberg Philanthropies”, the funder of the YCAF initiative.
