Episode 72: Developing Visionary Spaces with Kofi Anku

May greetings Glocal Citizens! It's a new month and on the heals of May Day celebrations in many parts of the world, my guest this week is a shining example of job creation in an emerging economy. Kofi Anku is a shareholder and board member of Ayi Mensah Park, a vibrant, 200-unit townhouse community at the base of at the foot of the Aburi Hills. Developed by IndigoHomes [https://indigohomes.com/] and Mercury Estates, Ayi Mensah Park stands out as Ghana's first neighborhood scale, town house development. The town house typology optimizes land - an increasingly precious resource and reduces the per unit cost of shared infrastructure and amenities. Additionally, as Executive Director of Volta Ghana Investment Company, he has overseen land development in Pokuase, Aburi, and Batsonaa for more than a decade. Pokuase Heights, in particular, is a gated community of high quality residences featuring contemporary designs, attractive interiors and a range of amenities. Residents of Pokuase Heights enjoy community water supply, solar power, a two car drive way, and 24 hour manned security. The community is conveniently located 20km from the heart of Accra; and offers great value and and stunning panoramic views at affordable pricing. In 2015 with EU based partners, Kofi pioneered Ghana’s largest commercial-scale tomato greenhouse. Premium Vegetables Ltd grows high quality tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers in a 5,000 square meter, commercial green house in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Premium Vegetables supplies select supermarkets and restaurants in Accra with the same exclusive greenhouse varieties used by top chefs around the globe. Water is queen in farming and pristine mountain aquifers feed an automated drip irrigation system for the green house. Cool night temperatures and 300 meter elevation in the Aburi mountains create optimal growing conditions for a wide range of herbs and vegetables. This interview was recorded on location at Kofi's own mountain getaway in the hour before downpours. I hope you all can appreciate the long-missed sounds of place that I hope will again become a part of the soundscape of future discussions. Where to find Kofi: On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Twitter And more about Indigo Homes What's Kofi listening to? Cornel West - The Historical Philosophy of W.E.B. Du Bois The W.E.B. Du Bois Lecture Series - A public address by: The Honorable Condoleezza Rice Other topics of interest: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Revised Edition by Robert B. Cialdini Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B Du Bois Marcus Garvey Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe, first President of Nigeria Chef Binta's Fulani Kitchen Abeiku JacksonSpecial Guest: Kofi Anku.