President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghanaians that his government’s flagship Big Push infrastructure programme will deliver equitable development across the country, with all 16 regions set to benefit from a massive rollout of road projects.
Launching the initiative on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at Afienya in the Greater Accra Region, President Mahama said the programme was designed to modernise Ghana’s road network, enhance inter-regional connectivity, and create new economic opportunities nationwide.
“From January 7, we have been designing road projects across the length and breadth of the country. The Big Push touches all 16 regions. Every region is going to benefit from its share of the Big Push programme,” he declared.
Connecting regions and districts
Outlining the priorities of the initiative, the President explained that the first phase would focus on roads linking regional capitals to ease travel and strengthen national unity.
“Our first priority was to focus on roads that link one regional capital to another. It should be easy for people to move from Accra to Ho, or from Accra to Cape Coast,” he said.
The second phase will target roads connecting district capitals, covering all 261 districts in Ghana.
“Neighbouring districts should have good roads connecting their capitals,” Mahama added.
He stressed that special attention would also be given to food-producing areas and industrial zones to improve accessibility and support Ghana’s economic transformation.
“We carefully identified all the major food-producing regions, reviewed the state of their roads, and incorporated them into the Big Push,” he said.
Roads Minister gives assurances
Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, hailed the initiative as a bold intervention that goes beyond politics.
He promised that the road project there would be completed in less than 24 months.
“When we say we can do this project within four months, we mean business. The people of Greater Accra and Ga-Dangbe, don’t be worried.
The contractor on this stretch can do this project in less than 24 months,” he assured.
Mr Agbodza also addressed concerns about the Ministry’s heavy debt burden, which he revealed stands at GH¢40 billion owed to contractors.
Despite this, he said the Mahama government remained committed to delivering results.
“Mr President, if you come to the Ministry of Roads and Highways, we owe probably GH¢40 billion in debt to contractors. But when we went round the country, the 16 regions, it was difficult to see what the money was spent on,” he admitted.
The Minister praised Mahama’s leadership, describing him as “the president who gave the biggest dose of intervention at a single time on our roads.”
Funding and scope
The government has allocated GH¢13.85 billion (US$892.9 million) for the Big Push programme, which will cover 42 priority road projects nationwide.
“The Big Push is not a campaign promise; it is a bold intervention by your government. We shall implement it, and the results will be there for everyone to see,” Mr Agbodza pledged.
The Afienya launch marks the start of what the government says will be the largest single intervention in Ghana’s road sector, promising to transform infrastructure, boost trade, and open up economic opportunities across all corners of the country.
