Republic Bank Ghana and JoyNews, a member of the Multimedia Group Limited, have launched the 2026 Habitat Fair, with Republic Bank coming on board as the lead sponsor.The JoyNews Habitat Fair is an annual housing and lifestyle exhibition that brings together stakeholders across Ghana’s housing sector, including financial institutions, developers, homeowners and service providers.Speaking at the launch, Manager in charge of Mortgages at Republic Bank Ghana, Frank Oppong Yeboah, advised prospective homeowners to build according to their income and financial capacity rather than take on excessive debt to complete expensive homes at once.“You don’t just go about taking a loan and developing a four-bedroom, two-storey house,” he said.“You can decide to have one bedroom, living and dining, with all the facilities, and then as you progress, or as your income increases, you add on,” he added.Mr Yeboah said a gradual approach to homeownership could help individuals avoid placing unnecessary pressure on their finances.Managing Director of Republic Bank Ghana, Dr Benjamin Dzoboku, also identified affordability as one of the biggest challenges confronting Ghana’s housing sector.According to him, the challenge goes beyond the availability of housing units, particularly as population growth and urbanisation continue to increase demand.“The challenge is not the supply side, but affordability,” he said.Dr Dzoboku noted that Ghana’s housing deficit, estimated at 1.8 million units in 2015, had been compounded by rapid population growth and urbanisation.He said addressing the housing gap would require stronger collaboration among government, financial institutions, developers and other stakeholders in the sector.“Closing this gap will require a concerted effort, not only from one institution or two institutions, but all stakeholders,” he stressed.General Manager of Joy Brands at Multimedia Group Limited, Francis Fiifi Koomson, welcomed the partnership and expressed confidence that it would contribute positively to Ghana’s housing industry while creating opportunities for both organisations.As part of the launch, Multimedia Group’s General Manager for Sales, David Max-Fugar, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Republic Bank Ghana to formalise the partnership.The partnership is expected to support activities leading to this year’s Habitat Fair later in 2026.