Was ‘Black Wednesday’ avoidable? The Melcom disaster in Accra puts a generation on trial

This study contributes to the existing literature on disaster risk preparedness in sub‐Saharan African cities. The paper demonstrates how corruption and personal greed condemn society to the mercy of disaster events, by examining stakeholders′ perspectives on the causal factors of the collapse of a Melcom shopping centre in Accra and by situating the event within the broader context of disaster management. A high concentration of people and physical and financial assets in cities means that a single accident can cause catastrophic effects and destroy years of development gains. The paper shows how increasing urbanization is shaping where and when disaster strikes and whom it affects most. It further emphasizes the need for disaster risk reduction practitioners to communicate with urban planning professionals in the planning and implementation of development projects. Significantly, the evidence suggests that the government has failed to incorporate lessons gleaned from past disasters into policies to avert future disasters. The paper concludes that a deeper understanding of the root causes of past events and a sustained focus on risk reduction and disaster preparedness are crucial to mitigating the impact of hazards and building resilient cities.