Across Ghana, the frustration of commuters, traders, and health workers is a familiar story. Hours are lost daily in gridlocked traffic, vehicles suffer constant damage from potholes, and emergency response is often delayed by roads that are either impassable or in poor shape. For market women, transporting tomatoes, onions or yams from the farms to the cities is a gamble; a bad stretch of road can mean produce arriving late, bruised, or completely spoilt. For health workers, reaching patients on time is often impossible, with ambulances trapped in traffic or slowed by rough terrain. For the ordinary worker, precious energy is drained sitting in traffic jams, leaving many too exhausted to give their best once they finally reach the office or factory floor.
Poor roads come with a heavy economic price. Vehicles wear out quickly, forcing drivers to spend scarce income on repairs. These costs are pushed onto passengers and traders, raising fares and the prices of goods. This cycle deepens hardship. The productivity of the nation suffers as workers arrive late and fatigued, unable to deliver at their peak. What should be a 30-minute journey easily turns into two or three hours of crawling through bottlenecks, all because of bad roads.
The human cost is even higher when lives are lost. The National Road Safety Authority reported that in the first half of 2025 alone, Ghana recorded over 7,200 road crashes, with more than 1,500 deaths and over 8,300 people injured. These are not just numbers but families torn apart, breadwinners lost, and resources drained by preventable accidents. Many of these tragedies are linked to bad roads, poor surfaces, inadequate markings, and highways that should have been dualised years ago.
The BIG PUSH and a new hope
It is against this backdrop that President John Dramani Mahama has launched the Big Push initiative, a bold plan to inject about 10 billion dollars into infrastructure, with roads at its heart. This year alone, the government is spending GH¢13.8 billion, with GH¢30 billion expected next year, until the total commitment is realised. For a region like Volta, where roads have long been neglected and chiefs year after year cry for repairs, the announcement brings renewed hope.
The Big Push is more than a road project. It is a deliberate strategy to unlock Ghana’s economic potential by addressing one of the biggest bottlenecks holding the country back, poor infrastructure. Roads like the 49-kilometre Ho-UHAS Bypass to Titrinu, Kasoa-Cape Coast dualisation, the Accra-Kumasi expressway project and the 7.7-kilometre Ho Guinness Depot to Ho Airport, as well as the reconstruction of the 24.8-kilometre Dodowa–Afienya–Dawhenya corridor, are just examples of what lies ahead. These projects, when completed, will cut down travel time, ease pressure on motorists, and make it easier for goods and services to flow freely across regions.
The plan also recognises that for development to be meaningful, it must empower Ghanaians. That is why local contractors are being given priority. According to President Mahama, Ghanaian companies have the skills and capacity to deliver just as well as foreign firms, and involving them ensures that jobs and wealth remain in the country. When a project of this magnitude channels billions of dollars into local firms, the ripple effects are significant. Workers are employed, suppliers are engaged, and money circulates within the economy rather than leaving the country.
Roads as engines of productivity
The link between good roads and productivity cannot be overstated. For the trader moving goods from rural farms to urban markets, improved roads mean faster deliveries and reduced costs. Transporters spend less on spare parts, drivers make more trips in a day, and perishable goods arrive fresher. This boosts profits and lowers the final price for consumers. When the price of food stabilises, every household benefits.
For health workers and patients, better roads are a matter of life and death. A mother in labour in a village cut off by bad roads can now be rushed to a hospital without delay. Ambulances no longer need to risk breakdowns or long detours, and healthcare workers can report to duty on time, less fatigued and more prepared to save lives. The efficiency of the health system rises when roads are reliable.
Security personnel also stand to benefit. In times of emergency, whether crime, natural disaster, or public unrest, their effectiveness depends on how quickly they can be deployed. Bad roads slow them down, but with improved infrastructure, response time is reduced, and communities are kept safer.
In the workplace, the effect is just as important. A worker who spends less time in traffic arrives at work energised rather than drained. Over thousands of workers, across hundreds of companies, this translates into higher productivity, more output, and stronger growth for the entire economy.
Building for the future
Roads are not just about movement; they are about building the foundation for a modern, competitive Ghana. Dualisation of highways will not only reduce accidents but will also accommodate the increasing number of vehicles on our roads. Improved town roads will ease congestion in urban areas, while rural roads will open up isolated communities, giving farmers access to markets and children easier routes to schools.
The decision to prioritise Ghanaian contractors ensures that the benefits of the Big Push are felt more widely. It means more jobs for engineers, masons, carpenters, and drivers. It means local suppliers of cement, asphalt, fuel, and equipment get steady business. It means that the 10 billion dollars earmarked for infrastructure creates a multiplier effect in the economy. When money circulates within, rather than flowing out, it builds stronger businesses and households.
Of course, such an ambitious plan requires vigilance. Oversight is crucial to prevent corruption, delays, and shoddy work. Ghanaians must demand accountability, not just from government but also from contractors. But with clear timelines, such as the 24 months set for the Dodowa–Afienya–Dawhenya project, and the visible commitment shown by the President and the Ministry of Roads and Highways, there is reason to be confident that this initiative can deliver.
Ultimately, the Big Push is about more than asphalt and concrete. It is about restoring faith in Ghana’s capacity to build, to develop, and to provide its people with the tools they need to thrive. It is therefore vital that Ghanaians support this effort in unity, so that the full benefits of development can be enjoyed.
The roads that will emerge from the Big Push will not only carry vehicles and passengers, they will carry the hopes of traders seeking better profits, patients seeking timely care, workers seeking dignity, and communities seeking safety. In fixing the roads, Ghana fixes its productivity, its safety, and its future. The Big Push is a call to action, and with collective support, it promises to pave the way for a stronger nation.
The writer is the Vice Chair of the NDC USA chapter
