Transport Infrastructure Key to Economic Transformation- Roads Minister
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has stated that Ghana’s transport infrastructure must be viewed as a driver of economic transformation rather than simply a programme of road construction.
Delivering an address at the 2026 Transport Sector Review Conference in Ho on Wednesday, the Minister said infrastructure development is about creating physical and economic connections that allow people, businesses, farmers and communities to participate fully in the national economy.
He explained that Government has placed the Big Push Infrastructure Programme at the centre of its development agenda. Launched in September 2025 by President John Dramani Mahama, the US$10 billion initiative spans five years and is designed to mobilise resources, attract private capital and introduce innovative financing mechanisms for sustainable infrastructure delivery.
“The Big Push is not simply a road construction programme. It is an economic transformation programme,” Mr Agbodza stated, adding that its success must be measured in reduced travel times, connected communities, improved livelihoods and expanded business opportunities.
He outlined progress on major projects including the Suame Interchange Phase 2, Kumasi and Sunyani Outer Ring Roads, and dualization works along the Kasoa–Winneba and Takoradi–Agona Junction corridors. Preparatory works on the Accra–Kumasi Expressway are also advancing under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
The Minister further pointed to the Ghana Market Access and Connectivity Project, which seeks to link farmers and producers to markets by improving rural road networks.
He noted that poor road conditions increase costs, reduce reliability and contribute to post‑harvest losses, making maintenance as critical as new construction.
To strengthen financing, the government has enacted the Road Maintenance Trust Fund Act, 2025 and approved a 20‑year Public‑Private Partnership concession for a Multi‑Lane Free Flow electronic tolling system.
Mr Agbodza said the new tolling system represents a significant shift from manual collection, promising efficiency, reduced congestion and predictable revenue for road maintenance.
He urged stakeholders to challenge conventional thinking, identify opportunities for collaboration and make bold decisions to build a transport sector that is financially sustainable, environmentally resilient, technologically enabled, economically productive and socially inclusive.
The Conference was held under the theme “Financing and Delivery of Resilient Transport Infrastructure and Services: A Big Push for Sustainable Economic Transformation”.
Margaret Adjeley Sowah, ISD
