Ghana is preparing to facilitate funding for the long-delayed Volivo Bridge as government seeks to improve transport links to parts of northern Ghana and strengthen the economic potential of the Eastern Corridor.
Deputy Minister for Finance Thomas Nyarko Ampem said government had prioritised the project and was planning to facilitate the drawdown of funds to accelerate construction.
The 540-metre bridge, being developed with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is expected to improve connectivity and reduce travel distances between communities and markets once completed.
The Deputy Minister said the project, together with other road investments under government’s Big Push programme, “would improve transportation and shorten travel distances to parts of northern Ghana.”
The renewed push comes as government expands its infrastructure programme, with the Volivo Bridge forming part of a broader pipeline of road and bridge projects intended to improve domestic connectivity and reduce transport bottlenecks.
Improved connectivity along the corridor could lower the time and cost involved in moving agricultural produce, industrial inputs and consumer goods between production centres and markets.
The project also reflects the wider role of Japan’s development cooperation in Ghana. According to the Ministry, JICA’s cooperation with Ghana dates back to 1963, while its volunteer programme began with the arrival of the first nine volunteers in August 1977.
Since then, 1,557 JICA volunteers have worked in areas including education, health and agriculture, while more than 4,700 Ghanaian officials have received training in Japan or third countries.
Nyarko Ampem said the impact of the programme extended beyond infrastructure and technical assistance, recalling that he was taught Mathematics by a JICA volunteer as a child.
“Many Ghanaians had benefited from the contribution of JICA volunteers over the years,” he said.
The Japanese side also highlighted the two-way nature of the partnership. Naoki Mitori, Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan, said the volunteer programme went beyond transferring Japanese knowledge and expertise, with volunteers also learning from Ghanaian culture, food, language and community experiences.
The bridge is expected to deliver greater economic value if the supporting road network is completed alongside it, improving access to markets and making the movement of goods and people more efficient across the corridor.
