Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has defended the government’s decision to exclude the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions from Phase I of the Big Push road infrastructure programme, saying the focus must be on achieving balanced and equitable national development.
His comments follow criticism from the Minority in Parliament, who argued that the exclusion of Accra and Kumasi, the country’s most populous and economically active regions, undermines the goals of growth and connectivity. The concerns were raised shortly after Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson presented the Mid-Year Budget Review.
The Minority pointed out that Greater Accra and Ashanti account for more than 35% of Ghana’s population, serve as major economic engines, and endure the highest vehicular pressure. They expressed particular concern over the omission of critical projects such as the rehabilitation of the Accra-Kumasi road and the proposed six-lane Accra-Kumasi expressway.
But responding to these concerns, Agbodza argued that the current distribution of road projects is intentional and strategic. He said Ghana cannot afford to focus all infrastructure investment in already developed urban centres while rural communities continue to lack access to basic road connectivity.
“Indeed, the population in Accra and Kumasi, and Tamale is bigger than in Ho or other places, and we need to match the development in the other places,” the Minister explained.
He emphasized that many of Ghana’s key economic sectors, including agriculture, mining, and tourism, are based in rural areas that remain poorly connected to national road networks.
“For example, an interchange in Accra could improve traffic, but if we neglect roads in farming communities, we undermine the potential of cocoa, yam, and rice producers to get their goods to market,” Agbodza said. “It’s from these rural communities that we get our food and exports.”
The Minister also noted that even some urban centres, despite their size and infrastructure, continue to face social and economic challenges such as youth unemployment. He argued that the overconcentration of road investments in a few cities risks widening regional disparities.
“We need to create equity in the development of roads,” he stated firmly, adding that Phase I of the Big Push is designed to uplift historically underserved regions to unlock broader economic growth.
The Big Push Programme, a flagship infrastructure initiative under the Mahama administration, is expected to unfold in multiple phases. According to the Roads Ministry, future phases will include major urban upgrades, including those in Greater Accra and Ashanti, but the first wave is deliberately focused on improving access in rural and peri-urban areas.
