President John Dramani Mahama has assured that Ghana will boast the best road network in West Africa within the next two years, a bold assurance he made in November 2025 while unveiling major road projects under his government’s Big Push Infrastructure Programme.
The announcement has stirred optimism and scepticism in equal measure. For a country that has long battled uneven road quality and stalled projects, the promise sounds ambitious—but not impossible. To understand its weight, one must examine where Ghana currently stands and who leads the regional race.
Benin Tops West Africa’s Road Rankings
According to the 2024 Statista “Quality of Road Infrastructure” index, published by Business Insider Africa, Benin ranks third in Africa with a score of 5.00 out of 7, making it the undisputed leader in West Africa.
Benin’s transformation is widely credited to President Patrice Talon’s Programme d’Actions du Gouvernement (PAG)—a ten-year national agenda that prioritised modern road corridors, border infrastructure, and consistent maintenance.
According to Statista’s 2024 Vehicles & Road Traffic Report, Côte d’Ivoire follows closely behind Benin as the second-best country in West Africa for road infrastructure quality. The country’s success has been driven by sustained investment in its transport corridors—particularly the Abidjan–Lagos highway and feeder road projects linking rural cocoa-producing areas to major cities.
As Ghana’s western neighbour, Côte d’Ivoire’s steady progress serves as both a benchmark and a reminder that consistent financing, maintenance, and transparency in road development can quickly elevate a country’s infrastructure standing in the sub-region. While Ghana and Nigeria fall outside the continental top ten, these figures paint a clear regional picture: Benin sets the bar, and Ghana must surpass that benchmark to fulfil President Mahama’s pledge.
Ghana’s Current Standing
Ghana’s road network, estimated at more than 94,000 kilometres, shows gradual expansion but uneven quality. The Ghana Highway Authority’s 2023 Road Condition Survey reveals that 38 percent of trunk roads are in good condition, 44 percent fair, and 18 percent poor. On the international front, Ghana’s road-quality perception score sits around 3.5 out of 7, according to the World Population Review (2025) index—a full point and a half below Benin’s Statista rating.
This gap underscores the scale of Ghana’s challenge: improving not just the asphalt on the ground, but also the perception of quality, safety, and connectivity among road users and investors.
Inside the Big Push Infrastructure Programme
President Mahama’s Big Push initiative—valued at roughly US$10 billion—is the centrepiece of his road-transformation agenda. It seeks to deliver 5,000 kilometres of new and rehabilitated roads nationwide, supported by an annual GHS 5 billion maintenance fund.
Key highlights include: 40 kilometres of roads for each of Ghana’s 166 constituencies, completed over four years (10 km annually); dualisation of strategic corridors such as the Accra–Kumasi, Accra–Takoradi, and Eastern Corridor highways; reconstruction of the Ofankor–Nsawam road, with strict directives to contractors to avoid shoddy work or delays; and a focus on climate-resilient designs and drainage infrastructure in flood-prone regions.
The President argues that the Big Push is not merely an expansion project but a quality revolution: “roads that last, roads that open Ghana for business.”
Can Ghana Realistically Achieve It?
Analysts describe Mahama’s goal as ambitious but achievable if execution and maintenance improve dramatically. To overtake Benin’s 5.0 score, Ghana would need to raise its own index by at least 1.5 points in under two years. That means thousands of kilometres of roads must not only be completed but independently verified for quality—and recognised internationally.
Infrastructure expert Emmanuel Cherry, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry, notes that “Ghana can close the gap quickly if government focuses on finishing existing projects, enforcing standards and communicating visible progress.”
The West African Road Race
Ghana is not alone in its quest for better infrastructure. Benin continues to expand its coastal expressways and border roads under the PAG II programme. Côte d’Ivoire is constructing new intercity dual carriageways and express routes around Abidjan. Senegal and Nigeria are also investing heavily in highway rehabilitation and toll-road expansion. The regional competition is intensifying—but it also sets a standard that could push Ghana toward genuine transformation.
What Success Will Look Like in Two Years
If Ghana’s efforts bear fruit, the results will be tangible: 60 percent or more of trunk roads classified as good by 2027, reduced travel time across major corridors like Accra–Kumasi and Accra–Tamale, lower vehicle-operating costs for transporters and commuters, and a marked improvement in Statista and World Bank indices, showing both physical and perceptual progress. Such gains would not only elevate Ghana in the rankings but also unlock trade, tourism, and economic growth across the sub-region.
The Verdict
President Mahama’s promise has rekindled national conversation on infrastructure delivery. It is daring, data-driven, and politically risky. But it has injected urgency into Ghana’s development agenda.
To deliver, government must ensure that execution matches rhetoric: every kilometre completed must stand the test of quality, visibility, and time. If the Big Push lives up to its name, Ghana could well challenge Benin’s dominance and redefine what “best roads in West Africa” truly means. For now, the machines are moving, the targets are set, and the clock is ticking.
Sources
- Statista (2024) / Business Insider Africa — Top 10 African Countries with the Best Road Infrastructure
- Ghana Highway Authority (2023) — Road Condition Survey
- Ministry of Roads and Highways (2025) — Big Push Programme Brief
- BusinessGhana.com (2025) — 166 Constituencies to Get 40 km of Roads Each
- Presidency.gov.gh (2025) — Mahama Launches Major Road Projects Under Big Push
- WorldPopulationReview (2025) — Quality of Road Infrastructure Rankings
Story by Isaac Azumah Abilla, EIB Research, Fact-checking and Investigative Desk
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
