London: Dr James Orleans-Lindsay, the Chancellor of the Cape Coast Technical University, has announced that the university will launch a new medical school project within the next 24 months. Dr Orleans-Lindsay, who doubles as the Executive Chairman of JL Holdings, disclosed this in a keynote speech at the Africa Rising Symposium hosted at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
According to Ghana News Agency, the project would be the first of its kind for a technical university in Ghana, adding that it would play a significant role in Ghana's health sector. "We will be starting Cape Coast Technical University Medical School in the next 24 months to produce doctors for our region, so our facilities will be staffed and resourced at the required levels," he said.
He indicated that the project, which would be constructed on the Cape Coast, would be led by Professor Harold Amonoo Kuofi, Professor of Medicine, and Professor Kwaku Adutwum Boakye, Vice Chancellor of the university.
Dr Orleans-Lindsay also announced plans to break ground in September 2026 on Ghana's first-ever '15-Minute City,' a modern urban project in Accra that integrates work, living, and lifestyle into a compact and eco-conscious community. "This, simply, is a city where everything from workplaces, banks, hospitals, and restaurants, among other amenities, is within a 15-minute bike ride. It also cemented my belief in building sustainability and promoting the green environment," he said.
The city, he explained, reflects a global shift toward liveable, walkable cities, affirming his belief that Africa must not follow but lead in innovation. Dr Orleans-Lindsay, who is also the president of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA), disclosed that through JL Plantations, he has invested in AI-powered water and pest management systems to revolutionise agricultural yields in Ghana.
"As the Founder and Executive Chairman of J.L. Plantations, we have integrated AI into our fold by investing in Irrigoptimal, a Maltese digital company that assists us to forecast our water usage 3 days ahead and which also monitors pests to prevent diseases, thus improving our yield," he stated.
He said his outfit is committed to environmental conservation by planting half a million economic trees to replace wood consumed in real estate development. He urged Africans to be doers rather than talkers, indicating that by so doing, Africa would rise and dominate the world.
"My simple message to those gathered here this morning is that Africa needs doers, not talkers. You always must have your eye on the ball, but you must have a ball first. So, your ball is in Ghana; you have your eye on Ghana for investments," he said.
He added that "if each person has the audacity to do what is required to change the mindset, if each of us chooses to put our country before self by doing rather than talking, we can more than rise. We will dominate because this century is Africa's."
