Accra: US-based Ghanaian legal scholar Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has voiced concerns about the rising cost of living in Ghana, highlighting the reported GHS5,000 cost of a return flight between Accra and Kumasi as a notable example.
According to Ghana Web, Kwaku Azar remarked in a Facebook post on August 20, 2026, that the airfare is nearly double the estimated average monthly salary of around GHS2,580. He pointed out that while air travel is not essential for every worker, there is a glaring lack of affordable and convenient alternatives for those unable to afford flying.
Kwaku Azar stated that road travel between Accra and Kumasi can take five to six hours and emphasized that Ghana currently lacks a fast intercity transport option connecting these major cities. He suggested that this scenario is a symptom of a larger issue where prices for housing and essential services are increasingly out of sync with the income levels of ordinary Ghanaians.
He attributed the high prices to factors such as costly financing, electricity, imported inputs, taxes, transportation, and limited competition in certain sectors. Moreover, he linked the issue to corruption and political patronage, explaining that money from inflated contracts and procurement abuses enters the same markets where average citizens compete for housing and services.
Kwaku Azar noted the impact of individuals with access to unearned wealth who can afford inflated prices, thereby setting higher market standards that affect everyone. He also cited the role of the diaspora and foreign-currency earners in influencing market prices.
To address these issues, Kwaku Azar called for investments in affordable alternatives, improved infrastructure, enhanced competition, reduced business costs, and measures to combat corruption and rent-seeking. He stressed the importance of boosting productivity and household incomes instead of simply pressuring businesses to lower prices.
He concluded by questioning whether Ghana's economy is increasingly catering to those earning in foreign currencies or benefiting from political and economic connections, rather than serving the needs of ordinary workers with local earnings.