An Analysis of the Types and Characteristics of Capital Cities in West Africa: Comparison of Ghana and Nigeria
An Analysis of the Types and Characteristics of Capital Cities in West Africa: Comparison of Ghana and Nigeria By Stephen Appiah Takyi A Report Submitted to the School of Urban and Regional Planning in Conformity with the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Urban and Regional Planning May, 2011 Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada Executive Summary The functions and characteristics of capital cities have long been neglected in academic literature despite their important role in the life of a nation. Capital cities are purposively planned, designed, and constructed to reflect the national ideology prevailing at the time of their inception. The glory of capital cities are shared among the citizenry of a state through the design and management of capital city elements like government buildings, educational institutions, galleries, museums, and memorials which reflect the cultural and national identity of the nation. The objective of the study is to analyse the characteristics and types of West African capital cities in Ghana and Nigeria and make recommendations based on the findings for the effective functioning of the capitals. The study was conducted based on secondary sources of data through literature review and document analysis. Internal and external validation of the study, which was done through constant review by peers; supervisor and an external supervisor ensured that the output of this study meets the required standard. The research approach, which entails the case selection process, used Peter Hall‟s categorization of capital cities in selecting the case studies. The combination of the political role and concentration of higher levels of facilities and services makes Accra a Multi-Functional Capital.
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