National Tenants Union highly disappointed in SONA 2026 – Director

Reindolph Afrifa-Oware, Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs of the National Tenants Union of Ghana, said the union is highly disappointed that State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2026 failed to address the nation’s growing housing deficit.

President John Dramani Mahama delivered SONA 2026 in Parliament on Friday, February 27, 2026, highlighting key interventions and strategies to address national development challenges.

Reacting to the provisions in the 2026 SONA in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Dormaa-Ahenkro, Afrifa-Oware said, “We are highly disappointed at the refusal and failure of the President to highlight interventions to address the deficit in the housing sector as he promised.”

“In the 2025 SONA, the President acknowledged the nation’s housing deficit, estimated at over 1.8 million units,” he stated, adding that “The President even spoke about doing something about the abandoned Saglemi housing project in the last SONA.”

Afrifa-Oware said the union anticipated SONA 2026 to outline strategies for the 50,000-unit housing initiative for teachers, also called the “Teacher Dabre,” emphasising that teachers, especially those serving in deprived communities and rural areas, deserve dignified accommodation.

“It’s unfortunate that President Mahama didn’t fulfil the old promises he made on housing and yet would muster the courage to make new promises,” he stated, expressing concern that the nation still had no structural reforms in the housing sector.

He highlighted the housing challenges faced by tenants, particularly exploitative rent charges, and called on the government to prioritise and address these growing issues.

“Housing is too important for political symbolism because it demands timelines, financing transparency, delivery milestones, and institutional reform,” he advised, advocating comprehensive reforms in the sector.